Trophy
by BettyLovesCupcakes
Summary: Tony and Pepper have gotten on with their lives and are just trying to cope with each day at a time. Unfortunately for them, Aldrich Killian is alive and well... But he wants his Trophy... Pepperony.
1. Chapter 1

**TROPHY**

_**Plot: Tony and Pepper have gotten on with their lives and are just trying to cope with each day at a time. Unfortunately for them, Aldrich Killian is alive and well... But he wants his Trophy... Pepperony.**_

_**Hello, Readers... So, this is my first Iron Man FanFiction and second Marvel FanFiction (First being "When Do We Start?" A Captain America FanFiction.)**_

_**Do leave a review and let me know what you think, if you like this so far and etc. :)**_

**CHAPTER ONE**

Pepper drummed her fingers on the mouse pad, her eyes scanning the figures which were on the screen. Financial calculations weren't something she wasn't used to and she _never _went into work distracted. But today was different, something was up with Tony...

_SIX HOURS AGO..._

_"Tony!" Pepper called, picking up her bag, preparing to leave. "I'm going now."_

_"Wait, wait, wait!" He called back from upstairs. Pepper raised her eyebrows hearing some banging around upstairs followed by his footsteps growing louder and louder. She watched him run down the stairs, holding her jewellery box in his hand. "This is yours - obviously." _

_"I don't really know why I would need to take that to work-"_

_"-No, not that - besides for show and tell...you take me." He winked at her, making her smile in return, still frowning at what he was doing. "So, __**everything **__in here fits you?"_

_"Yes..."_

_"Like, your necklaces, earrings and rings?"_

_"Yes."_

_"So, the rings are the correct sizes?"_

_Pepper swallowed, feeling a horrible twisting sensation in her stomach. "Yeah...They do."_

_"Cool - Okay, well off with your head! Not actually your head, but you're gonna be late-"_

_"-because you're talking, Tony-"_

_"-Because I'm worth it." He finished, walking towards her and kissing her quickly on the lips. "Go get 'em tiger."_

She exhaled slowly, trying to rid herself of the thought of their conversation this morning. He could have been asking for **any **reason, she was trying to be too rational, too conclusive. Besides, they weren't in the right place for a... _It's not a proposal... _ Pepper mentally told herself, biting her lip. They were definitely, 100% not in any way prepared for a proposal - at least she wasn't. It had only been four months since everything happened with extremis and KIllian. Pepper shivered remembering how horrible it was, the horrific feeling she felt as she plummeted to the ground at speeds she didn't know any human was capable of. She remembered how she woke up, feeling the pain of being able to pop her shoulder back in the socket and recover from the burns that were on her face. She wiped her palms on her skirt, feeling uneasy at allowing herself to drift towards those thoughts, she shouldn't. But she did wonder - what if he survived? She survived falling several hundred feet into a burning inferno - so perhaps, he could?

_I like big butts and I cannot lie!_

Pepper jumped as her phone started ringing, the allocated ring tone which Tony had set for whenever he rang her. She gave up even trying to turn it back: He was always a step ahead of her. She quickly exhaled sharply, before picking up the phone,

"Yes, Tony?" She sighed, an automatic sly grin growing on her face. She couldn't help it, they just fitted well together, despite being polar opposites.

"Shouldn't you address me as Sir, since you're at work?" He asked her, the sound of Rhodey talking in the background.

"Be thankful I'm addressing you at all-"

"-Feisty one you are." He interrupted her, in a terrible impression of Yoda, making her roll her eyes. "Rhodes - give us a minute?" He said in the background, to which she heard him say _okay, _followed by the sound of a door shutting. "Peps, about this morning-"

"- Tony, it's fine, I was just getting a little freaked out-"

"-I was gonna buy you a gift, not a proposal." He said, before sighing heavily at the end of the sentence.

Pepper nodded, feeling an odd twinge of sadness at the fact that it wasn't a proposal. "Well, I'm glad that's what it was."

"You don't sound glad."

"I am." She lied, sounding unsuccessful at it. "Do you think we could ever end up married?" She asked, feeling her palms starting to feel clammy again, a direct result of nervousness.

There was a moment silence on the phone, before Tony finally spoke. "Peps, I love you and I hope to be married to you and have your children one day - God, I sound like a chick."

"You sound romantic-"

"-Your very own real, life rom-com. I'm obviously the hunky, topless male who swims a lot."

"You're scared of water-"

"-Fish!" He quickly said. "They creep me out... I love you, Peps."

Pepper smiled, feeling genuinely happy. "I love you too - speak to you later."

"Bye." He finished, before hanging up leaving Pepper sitting in her office chair, a big grin on her face. She placed her phone down, before looking back at the figures on the screen.

_Knock...Knock..._

"One Second!" Pepper called out, before standing up, a smile still on her face from the telephone conversation. _Things are fine, you just overreacting again. A few years you could be married..._

Pepper cleared her throat, opening the door and feeling the smile fade instantly from her face. Her legs went weak and her eyes went wide, she was going to throw up: she certainly felt like it. She didn't know what to expect, _who _to expect, but this was her worst nightmare - this couldn't be happening. Not now - not ever.

"I know it's embarrassing...but I'd like my trophy now." Aldrich Killian said, his cutting words making her nightmare a reality...


	2. Chapter 2

**TROPHY**

_**Thank you very much to all who reviewed, followed and added this story to their favourites! It's awesome that people like this so far :) **_

_**Hope you like the second chapter and this contains the first, of many, twists :O**_

_**Do leave a review and let me know what you think, if you like this so far and etc. :)**_

**CHAPTER TWO**

Tony placed his phone down on the table, before standing up, pacing back and forth. The phone call did not go the way he had predicted: and usually he was right about his predictions. He heard the door slightly open, before Rhodey came in, clearly noticing the anxious pace.

"You okay?" Rhodey asked, his voice laced with concern. Tony looked at him sitting down and Rhodey sat down opposite him, the kitchen area of the Stark Tower well lit.

"Nope." He replied, taking a final gulp of the espresso he made.

Rhodey raised his eyebrows, both elbows resting on the table. "You gonna tell me why?"

"Nope." Tony said, before clearing his throat. "Not talking about it - Okay, Listen - "

"-I thought you're not-"

"-Shh!" Tony interrupted, holding his hand up. "I'm talking." Rhodey shook his head briefly, before motioning him to continue talking. Tony took a deep breath, before finally speaking. "I was going to buy her a ring, a ring as in an engagement ring as in...A will you marry the most awesome guy in the world ring." He finished, completing his statement all in one breath.

"Wow." Rhodey replied. "So, I guess she caught on?"

"I thought I was being subtle."

"Subtly is not your strongest suit." Rhodey commented, grinning at the expression on Tony's face.

Tony mockingly placed a hand on his heart, where the arc reactor used to be. "Complimenting me isn't yours."

"You compliment yourself enough-"

"JARVIS!" Tony suddenly called, standing up and clapping his hands. Rhodey rolled his eyes at Tony's sudden movements.

"Yes, sir?" The British sounding AI system replied.

Tony turned to Rhodey, raising his eyebrows at him. "Pay me a compliment."

There was a second of silence, before the AI finally replied. "Is that really necessary, sir?"

Rhodey shook his head in disbelief, leaning back and crossing his arms. "To prove something to Rhodey - yes."

"Well, sir, you are one the smartest minds of the generation." The AI system told him, a hint of sarcasm in the automated voice.

"Thank you!" Tony called out, smirking with satisfaction. "See? He appreciates me - stating the obvious, sure, but nevertheless-"

"-Tony." Rhodey said, interrupting him so that he would get straight to the point.

"Rhodey." He replied, before his smirk faded away and he let out a sigh. He shrugged his shoulders and walked over to the fridge, picking two bottles of water and placing them on the table. He sat down opposite Rhodey, finally getting to the part he didn't want to - The serious truthfulness. "I want to propose to Pepper. I don't want it to be a big extravagant thing - obviously the wedding would be, but..." He trailed off, feeling heavy with emotion. A rollercoaster ride is an understatement of everything they had been through: on their own and together. Pepper made sense to him, they clicked - he hated the cheesiness of it, but that was the truth. He would kill for her and he wants to spend the rest of his life with her. But he was Tony Stark, billionaire superhero. He kept expecting her to leave: after New York or after Killian - but she stayed. He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the moment, how his hand was so close to hers. If only he stretched his fingers more, he could have grasped her. It was irrelevant that she survived the fall: it was the fact that he let her fall. _Never again, I swear __**Never Again **__would she be hurt. _

"It doesn't have to be a big deal - Just be honest with her." Rhodey told him, taking him out of his thoughts.

Tony opened his eyes and smiled lightly. Rhodey was the other person who was always there for him, regardless of what people thought or said. He was his best friend. Money didn't make Tony happy, he trusted little. Even after what happened with the Avengers, Rhodey stuck by, not asking him questions and just, generally, sticking by his side. "She's smart - she knew something was up."

"The phone call?" Rhodey clarified, piecing together why the phone call was an important one.

"She said if we would ever get married..."

"And?"

"I said Rhodes is my number one..." He laughed. " And that I do want to get married to her and have her children - who would be just as brilliant as me."

Rhodey smiled in reply, not really understanding _what _the problem is. Tony was bothered, he could tell by the way his eyes darted everywhere. "Then what's the problem?"

Tony swallowed, tilting his head to the left to look out of the windows. The view of New York City, never getting old. "Something's off." He told him, a horrible twisting sensation in his stomach. "Just a vibe..."

* * *

><p><em>"I know it's embarrassing...but I'd like my trophy now." <em>

Pepper tried to speak, tried to run, tried to do anything. But she couldn't. The fear, anxiety, hatred - all of it, just came rushing back to her, in that sentence he just spoke. Aldrich Killian was alive. Not a scar on his face. Extremis must have been much more powerful in him, than it was for her or anybody else. Then again, she did survive that fall - he could survive that explosion. She remembered the pain all over her body as she opened her eyes, hearing his voice and Tony's in the distant. She wasn't in control of her actions, she was simply a passenger watching what she was doing. But regret over her actions? No. In this specific moment, seeing that he was alive after everything he had put Tony and herself through, she really wished she was successful in hurting him. _Trophy..._She recalled him saying. She remembered the first time, that was even brought up...

_"You think he'll help you... he won't." She told him, trying to sound confident, the fear radiating through her. _

_He came even closer to her and she was unable to move an inch. "It's more, uh, embarrassing than that. You're here as my, uh..."_

_"Trophy." She completed, feeling disgusted at this man. _

_"Yeah."_

Pepper opened her mouth to speak, but before she could even register what was happening, he pushed her back with excessive force making her topple backwards, her elbows connecting with floor. _Thank god I got it carpeted... _She briefly thought. She quickly stood up, backing away as he walked in followed by two men, both holding guns. There was no way they would have just walked in, guns blazing - people got hurt and she dreaded to think of the bloodshed downstairs. One of the men accompanying him slammed the door shut.

"Tony is coming here any second." She hoarsely said, tensing up. She didn't know what he wanted, why he was here - she just wanted him gone.

Killian smirked at her, a harsh laugh coming out from him. "Honey -I've tapped your phones. Bless you, thinking it was an engagement - see, I'm the kind of man that doesn't mess with your head like that." He mockingly told her.

Pepper exhaled shakily, feeling extremely invaded - he had heard everything. "You're a monster." She spat at him.

He shrugged in return, his hands in his pocket. His whole demeanour was relaxed, as if this was a casual encounter. "Well, I did breath fire..." He told her, the smirk still on his face. "Sit down, Miss. Potts - please, don't make me ask twice." He threatened, his smirk fading and his eyes darkening.

Pepper swallowed, slowly sitting down, the temptation to grab her phone overwhelming. _They're armed... If I could distract them or get something blunt? _ "What do you want?"

Killian sighed, looking at the two men in mock confusion. "Do you not listen? I want my trophy."

"Why? You are not gaining anything." She gritted her teeth, the overwhelming lump in her throat growing heavier by the second. What if it just ended here? What if he shot her and that was it? _it won't be... _She convinced herself.

"Tony would suffer - His pain is my gain." He told her, walking by the chair, placing his hand on the back of it. Pepper stiffened, despising him being so close to her. He leaned forward, his breath in her ear. " You know what? I was just gonna leave a mess... but don't you think till be fun to ring him? Taunt him a bit?" He whispered.

"Don't..." Pepper shakily said. "Aldrich - you do not have to do this. You have a second chance so just... forget about the past. Move on." She told him, hoping that some part of him would register what she was saying even though, she knew it was a shot in the dark.

Killian was silent for a moment, before moving in front of her, leaning down so that he was level with her. "Have you told him yet?"

"Wha-"

"-You say what one more time, and I _swear_ I will hurt you."

She shook her head. "You don't scare me. You're pathetic. You truly are." She spat at him, her eyes filling up with tears.

He smiled at her. "And you, Virginia, are pregnant - " He lifted up a pregnancy stick, wrapped in a paper towel, from his jacket pocket. "You need to find a better place to dispose of this, then the bin outside - So, answer my question - have you told him yet?"


	3. Chapter 3

**TROPHY**

_**Thank you very much to all who reviewed, followed and added this story to their favourites! Cannot believe the amount of reviews I received for the previous chapter - every person that reviewed is awesome and I thank you very much :)**_

_**Do leave a review and let me know what you think, if you like this so far and etc. :)**_

**CHAPTER THREE**

Pepper couldn't feel anything, her body, her mind, her thoughts - all halted to an instant stop. She wished he said _anything, _no matter how threatening or crude or upsetting, just anything but that. He knew and this was now hell on earth. The man who may kill her, knows she is pregnant before Tony could even find out. Crazy thing, is that she was considering telling Tony tonight. _What if Tony never finds out... _She swallowed, feeling the lump on her throat threatening to spill out all the tears she was trying to hold back. What if this was it? Her life coming to an end in her office? _And my baby? No. __**No. **_She tried to think determinedly, _This is my baby and if Killian kills me - he'll kill my baby - __**our **__baby, Tony's Baby - My Child. _She knew in that moment she had to fight, if not physically, mentally. Not back down. Lie, first and if that fails, try to escape. If that fails? Then don't give up.

"I'm not pregnant." She whispered. She had intended to sound strong, confident but her voice came out in a hoarse whisper, the volume beyond her control.

Aldrich sighed, carelessly throwing the pregnancy test to the side, landing with a silent thud, by the bookcase. "I **knew **you were going to say that. You sound scared - Are you... _Peps..._Are you _scared _of me?" He mockingly asked her, calling her what Tony did. He placed a hand on the side of her face and she instantly slapped his hand away. He retaliated by roughly grabbing her chin forcing her to look at him. "Every action you take from now on, is not going to made with you in mind, but your baby. So, let's say you try to slap me, I could stab you. And that won't end well for everyone, will it?"

Pepper whimpered lightly, despite trying not to. The thought of him hurting her baby was too much, it would kill her. She just wanted to tell Tony, that's all, she just wished she could go back to that phone call and tell him. She swallowed, taking a deep, shaky breath. "I swear... If you do anything to my... If you _hurt _my-"

"-You what, Pepper? I thought you're not pregnant - but we both know that's a lie." He replied, his grip on her starting to hurt.

She shook her head, starting to find it hard to breath. "Tony will kill you and succeed this time, if you hurt me." She told him, trying to mentally remind herself to inhale then exhale.

"Just like last time, huh?" Killian replied, finally letting go of her. He stood up, walking over to one of the men who handed him a cloth which seemed damp with something. _Chloroform... _Pepper thought fearfully.

"You don't know if I still have Extremis." Pepper said, trying to prevent him from doing anything. She darted a glance at an ornament which was on her desk, if she could time it right...

"Honey - I know you don't, I suppose I've been, uh, well - a bit _obsessive _over you." He told her, the corner of his mouth rising. "Can you imagine the look on his face when he hears that I have you?"

Pepper swallowed, deciding to try and hit him any second. _Be unexpected... You cannot just sit here and be a victim. _"You won't be telling him anything." She determinedly told him, causing him to laugh out in reply. He took a step towards her and that is the moment she decided to act. Without even mentally preparing herself she quickly lunged to grab the ornament and swing it his direction. Before she even knew what was happening, he grabbed her wrist mid-air and twisted it so that she had to drop the ornament, letting out a hiss of pain. Pepper tried to kick him and connected with his shin, but he didn't even make a sound. He just let out a grunt before grabbing her other arm and pulling her out of the chair. She tried to punch him, kick him, cause any sort of damage but his grip on her wrist was too painful - any more pressure, and she swore he would break it. She didn't even realise she was moving backwards until her back connected with the wall, causing her cry out in pain.

"Get off!" She shouted at him, hoping that somebody would hear her and try to help her.

Killian moved so close to her that she could feel his breath on her face. "That was a very _dangerous _thing to do, Pepper. I could've broke your wrist or every single bone in your body - but I'm too kind." Pepper struggled, trying to move, her knees trying to connect with his legs, cause him some sort of pain. "Pepper... Pepper..." He calmly said, waiting for her to stop struggling, reminiscent of the last time he took her. "Hey!" He shouted, making her stop moving and look at him fearfully. "You're mine now. I saw your face, when you saw how I changed - you were impressed, you wished you weren't with _him _but with me - and now, I am giving you a chance to make your dream a reality."

"You're delusional." She whispered, her eyes wide in terror.

He smirked in return, before she felt his hand cover her mouth, the cloth with chloroform over her. Before she could even try not to inhale, she could feel the effects on her. The drowsiness, the weakness - rather than fighting against it, she welcomed it. It was an escape - her knees hit the floor, and the rest of her body followed suit. She lay there, her breaths shallow, the darkness over taking her. She closed her eyes, waiting to drift off, waiting to be away from him and closer to Tony. As much as she knew it wouldn't happen, as much as she knew it was real - a part of her hoped that when she would wake up, it would all be nothing but a nightmare.


	4. Chapter 4

**TROPHY**

**Oh. My. Goodness. **

**It has been two months - correction, OVER two months. Apologies, firstly and if you are still reading - thank you kindly. So, so much has happened over these past two months, it really has gone by so quickly - I am sure you all understand what I mean, when life delays everything else. On top of that, my laptop crashed recently so all my chapters that I had written were all deleted. Yup. Gone. :/**

**Do leave a review and let me know what you think, and thank you once again :)**

**CHAPTER FOUR**

"Stop staring at my ass, Rhodes." Tony commented, as he grabbed two pans from the cupboard below the bench. Rhodey rolled his eyes, continuiung to slice the vegtables that Tony has laid out on the bench.

"You're delusonial-"

"-You mean irresistible!" Tony interrupted, smirking at the expression on Rhodey's face. He frowned, as he looked at the ingredients he had laid out on the bench; _Onions, Fish, Rice, Orange & Garlic. _

Rhodey stood next to him, arms crossed as he looked at the odd ensemble of ingredients on the bench. When Tony told him he was cooking a surprise dinner for Pepper, he was fairly certain that this was the last thing she would expect. "Do you even know what you're cooking?"

Tony rolled his eyes at him. "Food..."

"Anything specific?"

"JARVIS!"

Rhodey placed his palm out. "No help." He picked up the orange and looked at Tony.

Tony grabbed it off him and placed it back next to everything else. "Okay, fine...I am cooking... Rice with fish and onions... A Cod Curry!" He announced, wincing mentally as he said that. _Hell hath fury on those that actually eat this crap._

He looked at Tony, shaking his head. "Are you trying to poison the woman you love?"

Tony shrugged his shoulders, grabbing the food on the bench and swiftly chucking it all in the bin. He clapped his hands. "JARVIS - Can you order in whatever you think Pepper would like? Say, for in two hours time."

"I will do, Sir. May I suggest her regular order?" The AI system responded.

"Yup." Tony replied, moving over to the Kitchen Bar to take a seat and have a sip of his drink, that he made earlier. He smiled to himself, knowing fine well what it is that JARVIS would end up ordering: Indian. The day after anything bad happened, Business wise or to do with Iron Man, they had made a routine of ordering in Indian and having wine on the Balcony. A Tradition, a sense of normality. " You still need to meet our Crew." He said to Rhodey, that being the first thing to come to his mind when thinking of normality. _How Ironic! _

Rhodey shook his head vigorously in response. "No...No. I'm fine. Gods and Aliens? Not my scene."

Tony mocked being shocked at his response. "So, what is your scene, Mr Too good for Green Raging Monsters? Normality?"

He sniggered in response, raising his eyebrows. "I'm in the kitchen with you trying to make fish curry."

"Point Taken. JARVIS is ordering Indian, I don't know if she wants Indian." He commented, frowning momentarily. _What if she wants Chinese? Pizza? Quinoa? _

"Well, I'm gonna take a shot in the dark but er, ask her?"

Tony huffed, spinning around on the bar stool before hopping off, to grab his cell phone. "_Ask her! _Well, I knew that, Captain Obvious ..."

"I'm sure she'll say fish curry." Rhodey responded, before starting to pour himself a drink.

Tony smirked, scrolling down on his phone to his contacts list. He smiled, looking at the picture saved under her name, before pressing the dial button. "Ringing... Ringing... Ringing... Don't leave me hanging here, Pep." He muttered to himself. He sighed slightly as he heard the voicemail beep, before completely freezing up and tensing as he listened to the recorded answer phone message:

"Welcome, Mr. Stark, to Virginia's answer phone. As you can see she is currently unavailable, but the baby is still alive and kicking - I hope you knew she was pregnant. Oops. I'll be in contact soon - and think before you act - I have two lives at stake here."

_"Shit..." _Tony whispered, his hands clenching into a fist, his fingernails digging into his palm at the hope to loose the numb feeling which was taking over him. _Breathe... Breathe... No more panic attacks... Just think..._ _Pep's pregnant... Holy shit... She's pregnant. _He recalled the message that he heard, Killian could kill her, his unborn baby is at risk. He couldn't breath, he was suffocating, the air wasn't there. _Inhale... Exhale... C'mon, don't crack now. This is real. This is happening, this is real. She needs you... They... _

"Tony." Rhodey cautiously said, stepping closer to him, snapping him out of his mental thinking state.

Tony looked up at him, blinking several times, snapping out of his dazed state. He felt so many emotions surging through him at that current moment that he couldn't pinpoint _what _he was feeling. "Yeah?" He replied, his voice sounding foreign to him."No... Okay. Mind's made up, you stay here." He told him, walking over to the living room, grabbing his car keys. His legs felt like jelly but he didn't care. Killian had Pepper. Pepper was pregnant. That stakes were raised.

Rhodey ran up to him, grabbing his shoulder, his face full of concern. "What the hell is going on, man?"

"Pepper, uh..." He clenched his fist, trying to keep himself from smashing anything within reach. _Save it for __**him. **_"Killian has Pepper and she's uh, pregnant. So, I am going to the office, getting whatever evidence, camera images I can and... Yeah. She's..." He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes, trying to calm his racing heart.

"Tony?" Rhodey asked.

Tony shook his head once more, finalising what he was feeling. Anger. Hatred. Pure Anger and Hatred. "I have to go."

"Hey! Wait - Wait!" Rhodey called, making Tony stop, he grabbed the keys off him. "You're not going alone - I'm driving you there."

Tony nodded, thinking through what to do. He needed to get to the office, find whatever evidence, virtual footsteps, try and figure out what happened and where they are now. "This is serious, she's pre-... Damn. When I find her, and I will, I swear I will, I need to know you would stick by me, no matter what I'd do." He told Rhodey. _I'm going to kill Killian. No doubt about it. I'm going to find Pepper and I'm going to kill Killian._

"You know the answer - Let's go."


	5. Chapter 5

**TROPHY**

_**Thank you to all the kind reviews, Those who have added this story to their Favourites and those that have followed this. You guys inspire me to write more and I appreciate the support and kind words.**_

_**Read, Review & Enjoy! :)**_

**CHAPTER FIVE**

_"Pepper." Tony's voice echoed, in the empty room. Pepper looked around, frantically trying to source the location of his voice. She heard a slight click and turned around, seeing a door open. _

_"Tony!" She called out, running towards the door, she squinted when a bright light suddenly appeared. Holding her hand out, to shield her eyes from the light, she tried scanning the new room to find Tony. She turned around and saw a figure on the floor, his suit dissembled on the floor. "Tony! No!" She cried out, scrambling down by his side. His eyes were open and she could see a hole in his chest, where the Arc Reactor used to be._

_"You... did this." He whispered, his face contorting in anger, the blood bubbling over his gaping wound._

_She shook her head in response, seeing all the blood on her hands. "I... No. No, Tony, No... I didn't..."_

_"Look..." He weakly told her, his eyes going to her hands, fear creeping in across his face._

_She looked down at her hands, seeing the red glow emitting from them. "You cured me..." She whispered. "This shouldn't happen, there's no more Extremis." _

_"Then why is this still happening?" A new voice asked behind her. She turned around seeing Aldrich Killian standing there, gun pointing at her. She tried to scream at him, but just a hoarse whisper came out, she couldn't move. Panic was setting in and then she heard it, the bang, a flash of light..._

Pepper gasped as she opened her eyes, the feeling of crashing into consciousness startling her. She didn't know why she was asleep and why she had just woken up, it was Tuesday - she should have been at work. She hissed in pain as she slowly sat up, her eyes scanning the new room she was in, as memories of what had happened flooded her brain. Killian. He was alive, he knew she was pregnant and now she didn't know where she was. The room was slightly smaller than her office, the walls were painted white, no windows nor apparatus was present. Just the single bed which she sat on. She frowned, turning around to see a door, which no doubt was locked.

"Oh, god..." She whispered, still feeling extremley dizzy. She swallowed, her throat dry as she remembered the cloth. _Chloroform. He drugged me... _She thought, gazing down at her bare feet - no shoes, they took that from her too - Anything she could use as a weapon. She looked back around, scanning the small room from top to bottom. Absolutley nothing to use as a weapon, it was empty. Instinctively, she placed her hand on her belly. She only found out about the pregnancy two weeks ago and was yet to tell Tony, between her hectic work schedule and his weird behaviour, she had yet to find the time. _Tony... _She thought, her eyes widening. _How would he know? About the baby... Where I am... _She closed her eyes, trying not to cry as she remembered how bad his Anxiety was. The last thing she wanted was to be the cause of any more stress to him.

She exhaled slowly, trying to motivate herself to ignore the dizziness and nausea that was becoming overwhelming to her. "Get up... get up..." She muttered to herself, frowning as she slowly stood up. Her stomach rumbled slightly and she mentally wished that she had some food before everything had happened. Pepper slowly walked towards the door and tried to turn the handle, making her expectation a reality - it was locked. She swallowed, pressing her ear against the door, making out the faint sounds of voices.

_"I don't care if you need to sleep, get the cameras up and working - then, you can go. Do your job." _

Pepper staggered back, recognising who that voice belonged to - **him. **He was coming into the room any minute, to try and intimidate her or scare her. _No. _She thought defiantly, trying to stand tall. _I'm not backing down. I'm not weak and I'm not going to let him win. Not today... Just cooperate, get as much information... Then try, somehow, to contact Tony..._ She gasped slightly as she heard the key in the door and exhaled slowly, as she watched the door open.

"Good Evening, Virginia." Killian announced, a cruel glint in his eyes. He held a bag in his hand and she could make out the silhouette of a sandwich and a bottle of water. Pepper tilted her head up, trying to push out her thoughts of how dry her throat was as she tried to focus on this moment.

"What do you want, Aldrich?" She hoarsely asked, her voice not sounding as strong as she wanted. She tried her hardest to not look weak, to not give him the satisfaction of being weak, letting him win. She wasn't going to go down without a fight. She didn't know what he wanted or what he was trying to gain from this.

He took a step forward and she remained standing where she was, fighting the urge to step back or trying to run out of the door. "To be friends... But first, since you'll be here for the long run, I need to lay out some rules for you..."

Pepper blinked, wondering what sick game he was playing out, but she knew better than to aggravate him. "Go on." She replied, to which he smirked, a look of satisfaction seeping into his face...

* * *

><p>"Shit!" Tony shouted, slamming his hand into the wall. There was no evidence found. He had rushed up to her office, searching and crouching down into every inch of the room, for any sign fo evidence - and there was nothing. Except for the Pregnancy test, which was placed on the table, with a note saying "<em>Congratulations, Mr. Stark." <em>He didn't care about the Police Officers who glanced over at him, he couldn't think straight. He had sworn that no harm would ever come to Pepper and now she was gone. And pregnant. He was going to be a father. Under any circumstances, any _normal _circumstances he imagined that in this moment he would go crazy, buying everything he can. Building a protective baby room, with alarms and god-knows what other technology. He wanted his child to have the opposite upbringing that he did, he wanted to provide him or her with his undidvided attention and protection. _And Killian is going to try and take that away from me..._ He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around to see Rhodey, a look of disappointment in his eyes.

"There's nothing downstairs: no CCTV footage, cameras were taken down and security were knocked out." He quickly explained, sounding out of breath. He briefly looked around the room, his eyes falling on the pregnancy test on the desk. "What about here?"

"Just this goddamn mess, phones gone and ... that." He replied, motioning to the desk, running a hand through his hair.

"Tony - We're going to get them back." Rhodey reassured him, determined to not let his friend fall back into the state that he previously went into.

"Them?"

"Them." He repeated, nodding at Tony. "This is too far... This is messed up..."

"I'll die trying." Tony told him, crossing his arms. "I already spoke to those guys-" He pointed over at the two Police Officers, "-and told them to try and keep the press out of this, last thing I need is for her disappearance to make the tabloids... We need help, more Intel... More people." He said, his mind racing at who to contact. He had a good few ideas, but was unsure of whether particular people would be able to help.

"I'm guessing It's time to meet some of the non-normality people, you mentioned earlier?"

Tony nodded, starting to pace back and forth, his mind racing. He knew he could maybe contact the team, ask for their help. There was Fury or Hill, they would have acces to Intel, erased CCTV footage. Time was ticking and he couldn't waste any minutes. The more people he had to help him and Rhodey, the better chance he had at finding Pepper. He clapped his hands together and stopped pacing, turning around to face Rhodey. "I know just the person."

* * *

><p><em><strong>ADDITIONAL NOTE: So, there will be an Additional Character in the next chapter... But who? Would it be one of The Avengers (Hawkeye, Black Widow, Hulk, Thor, Captain America) ... Fury, Hill, Coulson? Who knows... Stay Tuned :D<strong>_


	6. Chapter 6

**TROPHY**

_**Thank you once again for everyone who has read this and supported this story. Thanks for the reviews, also...**_

_**This chapter is from Pepper's perspective, so it'll be next chapter where the new Character comes in - Who do you think it'll be: Fury, Hill, Captain America, Falcon, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Thor or Banner? It'll be one of them... **_

_**Read, Review & Enjoy! :)**_

**CHAPTER SIX**

Pepper balled her hands into fists, before releasing, trying to release any tension she felt. It was _that _look that he gave her - the piercing stare, the expressionless face. She didn't know what he would do or say, it was just silence. This was her nightmare that was now a reality. This was her reality and her only chance at surviving was Tony. She had to somehow alert Tony, whilst keeping Killian at Bay. She had to cooperate, play the role of the willing hostage. Let him hear what he wants to, it would be an act. _There's no cameras up - He doesn't know that I know that. I have something over him... _She eagerly thought, frowning at him.

"Well?" She whispered, swallowing the lump in her throat. She felt like crying at her predicament. She was hungry, thirsty, she could smell sweat on her from sleeping in her work clothes and she just wanted to get washed - feel normal. Normality was far gone now.

"Just admiring the view." He replied, his eyes sweeping up and down her body, making her feel more uncomfortable under his gaze.

_He's trying to intimidate you! _She told herself, narrowing her eyes at him. "What do you want, Aldrich?" She repeated, trying not to let her breathlessness or fear creep into her voice. She had to try and be in control.

Killian let out a slight snigger before closing the door, that was still ajar behind him. He leaned against the closed door, placing the bag on the floor and crossing his arms. "What happened last time we were together? Or does your memory not serve you well..."

"I failed." She replied through gritted teeth, hating him for what he done. He used her as an experiment, a bargaining chip for Tony. He killed a part of her inside. "That's what happened."

He clicked his fingers at her answer. "Bingo. And here's the result..."

Pepper shook her head defianlty, blinking back tears at feeling helpless. "You're not gaining anything-"

"-Well, I wanted a trophy - and now I have her."

"Tony is going to find you. He's not going to stop untill he finds you." Pepper told him, knowing fine well that as soon as Tony was aware of what had happened, he would do everything within his power and get whoever he can to try and find her - she would do the same for him.

"And I'll kill him." He replied, shrugging his shoulders.

Pepper's jaw dropped at the casualness of his answer. She knew he was messed up, but this was boarding on being a sociopath. "Seriously..." She whispered, eyes widening at him in disbelief. "What's the point? I mean - what's the big plan? Kidnap me and then what? You're just digging yourself in a hole, you're asking for trouble."

He nodded, adjusting so that he was no longer leaning on the door. He took two steps towards her, his face deadly serious and she fought the temptation to run away from him. "This is the part where I tell you all my secrets and you beg for me to stop and I then have a change of heart - No. Not in my version, _Peps._" She winced slightly at the use of her nickname, Tony gave her. "You're here and you're pregnant - that puts me in a difficult position. See, It's not that I'm obsessed with you, it's just that...well - I am. I want you, now I have you..." He took another step towards her and she balled her hands into fists on the side, reminding herself to breathe and not panic. " But I'm at a conumdrum as to what to do, with that _thing _inside you. The good guy in me, says let you have it, after? We'll drop it off at Tony's doorstep and have our fun..." Pepper swallowed, _Screw it! _She thought. It was enough to threaten her and Tony, but to then bring her unborn child into his threats and talk about her baby in that way was too much. Gritting her teeth, she stepped forward and swung her fist forward, the impact connecting to his jaw, making him stumble backwards in surprise. The pain vibrated through her hand, but she didn't care. Killian looked back up at her, a smile on her face, before he lunged forward, grabbing her arm and twisting it, making her drop to her knees from the pain. "Ah! See... behaviour like that is what would make me do the bad stuff - You understand?" He whispered, applying slightly more pressure to her arm, making her gasp out in pain. "Be a good girl and you can have your baby... Then you're mine. Mine to do what I want with. Mine."

"Tony will-" Pepper began to say, but Killian roughly grabbed her shoulder with his other hand, making her stand up again and pushed her backwards until her back slammed against the wall.

"Tony will what?" He sneered at her, his face too close to hers. "He's looking for you, all I have to do is plant the breadcrumbs... lead him to a warehouse, rig it with explosives - problem solved. That egotistical prick will be dead soon."

Pepper froze at his words, if she couldn't let Tony know, he could die. Killian could lead him, purposely, to somewhere he thinks she would be. _I have to let him know... I have to warn him. Camera's aren't working yet, so If I can get out somehow..._ She swallowed, looking Killian straight into the eyes, deciding to not anger him. If she acted violent, he would leave plenty of guards outside the door, if she acted along with his game and tried to open the door... She might just stand a chance. "Please... Don't hurt my baby. "

"Sshh..." He mockingly replied, as he released his grip on her arm and placed both hands on either shoulder. "Give me a hug... C'mon, just a friendly hug..." He told her, making her feel incredibly patronised. She didn't want to hug him, she wanted him dead. _Do it for Tony. If I act along, play along... I could save him. He isn't saving me, I'm saving him. _She inhaled shakily, before loosely placing her hands around him. He squeezed her tighter, making it impossible for her to move, but she didn't say a word. She felt on his hands, stroke her hair and she felt disgusted by his action. "That's not so bad it it? Intimate contact is something you have to get used to. Do you know, what it's like? Wanting to touch someone for so long and they just ignore you, are repelled by you... And the moment you could stand a chance, they're with _that _guy. Well, It's my turn."

He stepped away from her and Pepper exhaled, a sense of freedom coming over her. No personal invasion of space. "How long were you following me for?" She asked, if she could find out than she could let Tony know. He'd know what time period to check the cameras from.

"Just over a month..." He replied, walking over towards the door.

_He's leaving any second... _"What if I need to use the restroom? Change of clothes?"

He held his hands out. "Hey, calm down... It's alright. I'll sort it all out... I'm not trying patronise you, I'm trying to give you a better life, with a better person."

_What if I can't get a hold of Tony? Would he even change his mind? _She wondered, inhaling shakily. "Don't hurt him... **Please **don't hurt him." She pleaded.

He tilted his head to the side. "Beg me."

"W-What?" She asked, taken aback by what he said. Did he really want to lower her, embarass her?

"You want me to not kill him - Convince me. I'm waiting, Peps."She shook her head, feeling so small against him. "How much does he _really _mean to you?"

"I'd die for him. If he dies - I die."

"I can arrange a joint funeral, for all three of you." He replied, the corners of his mouth turning up.

Pepper froze, closing her eyes momentarily. _Just say it, give him what he wants. _"Please, Don't hurt him, Aldrich. Please. Please, Don't."

_"Why?"_

"Because I love Tony: That's why. Please- He's helping people, he's not a horrible person. Please..."

"That's sweet - I'm still going to kill him though-"

"-Wait, What do-"

"I just wanted to see you beg, It's cute. Food, here you go... Water..." He told her, taking out a sandwich and bottle of water from the plastic bag. He placed the food items on the floor and the bag in his pocket. Opening the door, he looked back at her. "I'll bring clothes and soap for you later." He told her, before slamming the door shut.

Pepper stood there shaking in anger, fear and frustration. She didn't know what to do. She wanted so badly to fight against him, refuse everything he said, but she would risk never getting any chance of letting him know. She didn't want to obey his every order, but she had to. She had to cooperate. If she did, she could, just maybe, save Tony. _He's going to make it easy for him... He'll think he's found me... Tony would, and Rhodey - what if he'd be there? _She squinted her eyes shut, slowly sliding down to the floor, shuddering in fear. She had nothing to gain and everything to loose. She couldn't bear the thought to loosing Tony _and _her baby. She couldn't even think it - It was too much.

"God!" She screamed out, slamming her palm down on the floor repeatedly, the pain not even registering with her. She lay down, bringing her knees up to her chest, staring numbly at the floor, her eyes moving up to the legs on the bed. The small circular screws, equally placed away from each other. She blinked, tears escaping her eyes, sitting up suddenly. _The screws... I could try and use it for the lock... It could work... _She looked back over at the door. _I'll play along with you sick little games, Aldrich. Then, once all __**three **__of us are safe, I'll be happy to see you die... I'm not dying here._

She exhaled shakily, a newfound determination within her. "I'm not dying here... Nobody I love is going to die..."


	7. Chapter 7

**TROPHY**

_**Thank you once again for everyone who has read this and supported this story.**_

_**Reviews are very, very helpful & allow me to know if readers like the direction this is taking and if characters are not too OOC. :)**_

_**Read, Review & Enjoy! :)**_

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Pepper absentmindedly finished chewing on the last bit of the sandwich. It was shop-brought, she could tell and tuna wasn't exactly her most ideal flavour to have, but then again, this wasn't an ideal situation. She quickly had a small sip of water, not wanting to finish it straight away: she didn't know when the next time was she would get any luxuries. She sighed, kneeling up from where she was sitting down and once again, examing all the walls of the room. She was almost certain there was no CCTV in this room. The past hour consisted of her examing each part of the wall and smooting her hand over the surface, to confirm her suspicions. _If I can get a phone, they wouldn't know..._ She thought, a flicker of hope going through her. After looking over the walls for another five minutes, she moved over to the bed and crouched down at where she could see the nails. She was far too tired too try all of them, but she touched the first one and tried to wriggle it slightly, to make it slightly loose. Pepper frowned when the nail didn't even budge.

"Plenty more where that came from." She whispered to herself, before deciding to have a rest. She needed her energy, the last thing she wanted to do was exhaust herself. Pepper sighed, once more looking around the empty room. It was amazing how an oridnary day turned into her worst nightmare. She sat down on the edge of the bed, dreading the next time he was going to come into the room. She didn't even know how he was alive, she thought she had killed him - it was certainly violent enough. Pepper leaned back, lying down on the hard matress and stared up at the ceiling: even the lightbulb was untouchable, being behind a protective glass. She closed her eyes, feeling frustrated at how throughly the room was escape-proofed. _Tony will find me and I'll help him... I just need sleep, get my energy back - I can't make any mistakes... _She tried thinking, to reassure herself of the hopeless predicament she was in...

* * *

><p>After spending over three hours at, what the cops refered to as their 'crime scene', Tony and Rhodey both gave their statements, and after a five minute debate, convinced the Cops that they would go in tomorrow morning to give their statement. After all - who better to solve a crime than Iron Man? The drive back had been quick and silent, with Rhodey, once again, taking the wheel. The atmosphere was tense: they both thought they were rid of Killian, but that clearly wasn't the case. He had took Pepper again, a cruel comparision of history repeating itself. Only difference this time, was that there was more at stake: she was pregnant. That was what hit Tony the most. He was going to be a father. He felt bad for even trying to imagine how great the life with his son daughter be, how everything he didn't get as a child, he would provide for his. Give them protection and love. The moment they pulled up outside of his home, he quickly got out the car and rushed upstairs, leaving Rhodey to park. He could feel his breath getting short and quick, he was on the verge of having another anxiety attack. As soon as Tony was in the elevator, he leaned against the wall, taking a deep, calming breath.

"Buckle up." He muttered to himself, knowing that this was just the start. He closed his eyes, taking pleasure in the calming few seconds he had to himself. He had no doubt in his mind, he would get her back - even if it killed him. As soon as the elevator doors opened, he rushed out and walked over to the kitchen table, fighting the temptation to down the entire whiskey bottle that was there.

"JARVIS - I need you to analyse the CCTV Footage from Pepper's workplace. Let's say from... two weeks ago, any analysis of Pepper or... Aldrich Killian - alert me immediately." Tony announced, taking a seat on a stool. He leaned forward, his head between his hands.

"Yes, Sir." The AI system replied, leaving Tony in total silence and solitude. Tony closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on calming his racing heart. Killian hit him where it hurts - and he knows that.

"Tony..." Rhodey called, snapping him out of his daze. Tony frowned, turning around to see Rhodey standing there. Rhodey smiled weakly at him, walking over to sit next to him.

"Mm?" Tony replied, feeling completley drained. He was mentally and physically exhausted.

"You alerted JARVIS?" He asked, and Tony just nodded in return, standing up and walking over by the wall. "We're gonna get something from this, trust me."

Tony nodded, feeling a new wave of anger wash over him. _That Bastard... _He angrily thought, his hands shaking with rage. He didn't get the nerve of Killian, to just mess up his life like this. Tony gritted his teeth and before he even realised what he was doing, drove a fist into the wall. He winced slightly in pain, his hand throbbing being a new sensation of actually feeling something, other than numbness. He looked at the wall, to see a slight fist mark. He wondered how Pepper would re-act to that and that ignited a flicker of hope, within him. He turned over to look at Rhodey. "Pepper won't be too happy about that." He commented, walking back over to sit next to him.

Rhodey managed to smile slightly, before moving over a glass of clear liquid. "Here.."

Tony raised an eyebrow at him, in question. "Alcohol?"

"Water." Rhodey replied, taking a sip out of his own glass. "You're like a brother to me, man. I'm not letting him get the better of you."

Tony gulped down the entire contents of the glass, feeling the water travel down his throat. It was refreshing. Pepper's face flashed before his eyes, making him feel guilty. "He already has."

**"**Okay - Let's think, you're good at that." He jokingly said, making Tony feel a bit more relaxed. "We know he had a few weeks time radius to plan - Is it possible he was following her?"

"He had to have been - It's too perfect." Tony sourly commented, feeling damned to not have noticed. Then again, he wasn't looking over his shoulder. They both thought they were going back to normality. _Is this how it's gonna always be? _Tony pondered. _Looking over my shoulder, never feeling safe? _All he wanted to do, was get in the suit and try to find her. But he knew that would be useless. He would be flying around, chasing air and ultimately, loosing more time. He couldn't afford that. He had to pinpoint where she was, time was of an essence.

Rhodey tensed up slightly, and Tony looked at him, frowning. "When's...Banner coming over?" He hesitantly asked.

"Soon." Tony told him, raising his eyebrows at his reaction. "You're nervous?"

Rhodey shrugged his shoulders, trying to pass it off. "He sounds like a nice enough guy... apart from when you mention the big green raging monster that smashes things up. _That _puts me on edge."

Tony smirked, imagining the Hulk doing to Killian, what he did to Loki. "That could put Killian on edge. Besides, he's slightly less smart than me - which makes him smart - he can help. Monster part aside, anonymity is in his favour."

Rhodey shook his head, accepting that he may have to see what he really did not want to. "Apart from when he's hulki-"

"-Actually..." A new voice, said behind them, making them both turn around to see Bruce Banner standing there. He was dressed casually in jeans and a shirt, the bags under his eyes were slightly more severe than before and he had a tired look on his face. "I like to refer that side of me as _The Other Guy. _Seems more,uh, polite." He walked over to Rhodey, holding out his hand. Rhodey shook his hand, in return. "Bruce Banner."

"James Rhodes." He replied, slighty taken aback, by the normal appearnce of the guy.

Tony tapped Rhodey's shoulder. "Call him Rhodey, get the bromance starting." He told Banner, making him roll his eyes in response.

"How are you holding up?" Banner asked the both of them, crossing his arms.

Rhodey shrugged his shoulders in response. "Okay." Tony replied, before smirking slightly. "Hey, Rhodes - One down: Five to go."

"No way." Rhodey replied, standing up.

Tony stood up as well, clapping his hands together, feeling slightly more better. No matter how much he felt it, he wasn't alone. There seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel, after all. "Let's go get this son-of-a-bitch."


	8. Chapter 8

**TROPHY**

_**Reviews are very, very helpful & allow me to know if readers like the direction this is taking and if characters are not too OOC. :)**_

_**Read, Review & Enjoy! :)**_

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Tony and Bruce both stood by the computer screen, eagerly anticipating JARVIS to announce that he has found a matching hit. Some image of Aldrich Killian, either by himself or with Pepper. It had proved difficult, due to the fact that much of the footage was damaged or deleted - no doubt Killian's doing.

Rhodey was in the kitchen, cooking, since none of them had eaten in a very long time. Despite what was happening, Rhodey told them they had to take care of themselves, especially Tony. He needed to eat and sleep. He would work better, more energised, and if they did find where Killian was, they had to be strong.

Bruce took a sip from the second cup of coffee he had made, placing it back down on the table and crossing his arms. A frown appeared on his face, when he craned his neck to where Rhodey was in the kitchen. "It's very, uh, reassuring that James is apprehensive around me." He dryly said, breaking the silence.

Tony turned around to face him, holding a finger up. "It's very reassuring that _Rhodey _is apprehensive about you. Don't stress, I just hammed up the part about, you know."

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "You mentioned what happened with Loki, didn't you?"

"The ragdoll part - yeah. Yeah, I did." Tony replied, shrugging his shoulders, as if it was something that happens all the time. His body slumped slightly, as he felt a wave of anxiety hit him. Tony let out a shaky exhale, slowly walking to the chair nearby. He sat down and gripped the edge of it tightly. "I can't bear anything happening to her."

"I'm sorry." Bruce sincerely responded, sitting down opposite him. "But you need to remember that this is what _he _wants. He wants you to, I'm assuming, suffer."

Tony ran a hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I know, I know." He muttered. He sighed, lowering his hands. "It's because, she's... You know-"

"-Pregnant?" Bruce offered and Tony nodded, closing his eyes momentarily. Bruce leaned forward, a steely look in his eyes. "Then isn't that all the more reason to get her back?"

Tony gulped down the rest of his coffee. "Yes it is." He replied, placing the empty coffee cup down. "I just thought this was done - over. Everything happened - Extremis, Killian and that was supposed to be it. I don't want this - I mean, what kind of bastard threatens a baby, yet alone Pepper. That's my kid." He explained, his voice rising slightly and his hands starting to shake. "That's my kid."

"You'll get her back." Bruce reassured him. "You got me to make sure you don't go crazy. So - what's the plan?"

Tony clicked his fingers, pointing at the computer screen. "Wait for any face-recognition of Killian, any images from CCTV or Satellite feed. If we get a hit, see him get in or out of a car - we have a lead."

As much as Tony hated to think it, that was the only thing they could do. He had considered a million times, putting on the suit and going...anywhere. Just finding her, but he needed to be careful. He played over and over in his head, what happened last time with Killian. The fact of the matter, is that if Pepper didn't have Extremis, she would have died. That kills him, it does. Tony just wanted to get his hands on Killian, that man was a Sociopath. He was a Sociopath on the borderline of being a Psychopath. After what had happened, Pepper confided in him when she worked for Killian and he would constantly ask her out and flirt with her. So, that made Tony aware that this was more than a basic kidnapping. She was almost like his, dare he say, Trophy.

"Otherwise, we're just chasing an invisble tail." Bruce commented, snapping Tony out of his thoughts.

"Exactly - you just need to be patient." Tony replied, smirking lightly. Bruce just shrugged his shoulders.

They both sat in silence for the next moment, their eyes keenly fixed on the screen. Tony kept playing out what could happen: JARVIS would say they got a hit, he finds the car and finds out where they are. All three of them go, Bruce would hulk out, take out the guards, Rhodey would go around the back, disarm any guards there and Tony would come face to face with Killian. After a brief stand off, he would defeat him and get Pepper back. Happily ever after. The end. Unfortunatley, for Tony, life was never that simple. No matter how hard he wished it to be.

Both Bruce and Tony turned around when Rhodey walked in, balancing three plates. He walked by Bruce first, who took a plate, muttering a quiet thanks. Rhodey then gave Tony a plate and took the other seat, parallel to them. They all sat there, quietly eating down the food, not quite realising exactly how hungry they all were. It was easy to put aside the simple things for survival, when in a desperate situation.

Tony twisted his lips, frowning as he chewed down on the food. "Rhodey - what _is _this?" He asked, a hint of curiousity in his voice.

Rhodey raised his eyebrows, unsure whether that was a good or bad question. "Tofu with Rice - don't like it, I'll have it." Tony just shook his head in response, eating the rest of the food.

They continued eating in silence for the next five minutes. Tony finished first and placed his plate on the table, leaning back on the chair, chin resting on his hand. His eyes never left the screen, which was still scanning all the footage.

"Thank you for that." Bruce said, placing his plate over on the table. Rhodey nodded in acknowledgment, turning to Tony.

"Anything?" He questioned.

Tony shook his head. "No... But, something's off." He couldn't shake the feeling that something big was going to happen. Killian must have been planning for weeks, if not, months this kidnapping. It could not just be as simple as finding where he is and getting Pepper back. Killian did this because of him. To taunt him, take what he figures is his. That was the thing with men like Killian, they see Friends and Girlfriends, as objects - something to have and take as you please.

"What do you mean?" Rhodey asked, a sense of dread creeping into his voice.

"Bad feeling." Tony mumbled, waving his hand in dismissal. "I mean, we get a hit, chase him down and that's it? It's too simple... For him. Too simple for him. He hasn't contacted me, not since that phone message." Tony stood up, sitting down was making him feel too anxious. He needed to walk, vent off the frustration. "It's too simple, there's something more..."

"What if... It's a trap? You find the place and it's a trap?" Rhodey asked, frowning.

Tony sighed, not really knowing what to do if that was the case. "Then I'll cross that bridge when it comes to it."

Bruce cleared his throat, and they both turned to look at him. "A trap? How exactly would he set up a trap?"

"Does it matter?" Tony asked, shrugging his shoulders. "I just need to find Pepper."

Rhodey leaned forward, a realisation striking him. "Wait - Tony, he's got a point. Let's just try and think logically here-" Tony opened his mouth to say something and Rhodey held up his hand, a warning look on his face. "-No Spock jokes... Okay, Killian has planned this for... Let's say, a month - minimum. He wouldn't plan that long to just kidnap her and let you get her back. At the end of the day, you're his enemy. He tried to kill you-"

"-He was obsessed with Pepper, when she worked with him. Flirted with her all the time." Tony said, a distant look crossing his face.

"Then, in his mind set," Bruce begun to say, a frown fixed on his face. He looked at Rhodey and then back at Tony. "You're the only thing standing in his way, between him and her. He doesn't want you to find her, he wants to-"

"-Eliminate me. Get me out the way." Tony finished, his head tilting back in disbelief.


	9. Chapter 9

**TROPHY**

_**Thanks for the Reviews, Favourites & Follows!**_

_**Read, Review & Enjoy! :)**_

**CHAPTER NINE**

_FOUR MONTHS AGO..._

_Pepper stepped eagerly out of the elevator, her eyes scanning the room. There was no sign of Tony. She frowned, walking towards the kitchen wondering what was going on. She had received a call from him, telling her to come back ASAP due to an emergency. Pepper, of course, had assumed that something bad had happened and she was preparing to fix it however she could. _

_"Tony?!" She called, trying not to panic. Far too many things had gone wrong in the past, she was prepared for anything._

_Tony stepped out, a smirk on his face, dressed smartly in a suit and tie. "About time - this way." He told her, walking back in._

_Pepper frowned, following him and setting her bag down on the floor. The moment her eyes set on the table she stopped walking. There was a bottle of wine, with two glasses, alongside two plates of spaghetti with seafood. "Did you make this?" She asked him, doubtfully._

_"I'm only a multi-millionaire, genius, now-settled playboy and part time superhero - I think I can cook my gal a meal-"_

_"-Your 'Gal'?" She repeated, taking a seat opposite him. She took the glass of wine and had a small sip, savouring the refreshing, crisp taste._

_Tony shrugged. "I'm getting reacquainted with my street slang...Fam, back it up like a pickup truck..."_

_"I'm not even going to ask..." Pepper replied, picking up her fork. "Is this the emergency?"_

_"I wanted to treat you, cook you a nice meal." Tony admitted. _

_"That's sweet." Pepper replied, smiling at him. That moment was just pure happiness and peacefulness. She wished she could extend that feeling to every waking moment. She reached forward and held his hand, looking at him with sincere admiration. "Thank you."_

_"Anything for my-"_

_"-Don't say it." Pepper interrupted, trying not to smile. _

_Tony winked in return. "Wasn't going to - Tuck in."_

Pepper opened her eyes, slowly coming to the realisation that she must have drifted off to sleep. She didn't know how much time had elasped, but she did know that every minute and second was important. She slowly sat up, her eyes instantly going to the bottle of water she left by the door: it was untouched, meaning that _he _hadn't returned, although she had no doubt that the solitude wouldn't last for much longer. Pepper exhaled shakily, standing up and stretching her arms out in front of her. She didn't know if it was night or day, she was stuck in this windowless room.

Pepper crouched down by the foot of the bed, and placed her fingers around the nail. With two screws clockwise it came loose: she didn't dream it. There was a shed of positivity, a lingering shimmer of hope. _I'm not giving up yet. _She screwed the nail loosely back in place, so it didn't look anything out of the ordinary. When the time was right, she would try and get out of the room. Timing was everything.

Standing back up, she started pacing around the room, getting the blood flowing everywhere, her hand tenderly resting on her stomach. Despite, her contradicting thoughts, she had came to the conclusion that Tony knew. He knew about the baby, not because of any doubts but because of Killian. That would be the first move, the first taunt - letting him know about the baby. Raising the stakes as a result. Pepper was certain that she would not let anything happen to her baby, she would have this child and Tony and herself would bring their child up, with love, attention and kindness. Killian was the last person in the world to take that away from her, no matter how much he threatened her.

Her heart dropped slightly, when she heard the click of the lock in the door. Taking a few steps back, she crossed her arms, ready for anything. The door swung open and Killian walked in. He was dressed slightly differently to last time she saw him, meaning that she must have been asleep for longer than she thought. It could possibly be a whole new day - she had no way of knowing.

"I need to use the restroom." Pepper said, looking directly at him. She swallowed, not wanting to say it, but knowing she must play along with his game. "Please."

Killian stepped to the side and motioned for her to walk out first. Pepper walked forward, internally thinking how that could be a test. If she walked out first she could easily run and try to escape. And that would be it. She'd be stuck there. Instead, she stopped two steps from the door and waited for him to lead her to the Restroom. He paused as he closed the door, looking at her as if expecting her to run away. She waited for a moment and then he begun to walk forward. Pepper followed him, carefully examining her surroundings. There was no defining feature or memorable mark in this place, it was simply a grey corridor. Apart from the door she came out of, there was one more door further down the hall, in the opposite direction of where they were walking and only one more, which Killian had came to a halt. It was virtually twenty steps from where she was being kept, he didn't need to accompany her for the mere distance, it made her feel like a child. He opened the door, which was identical to the one she walked out of. Inside of the room was the basics: Toliet, shower & sink. There was a mirror, but there was no chance of her smashing it without him hearing.

"Five minutes." He told her, motioning for her to walk in.

Pepper nodded, walking in and shutting the door immediately behind her. She closed her eyes, for a moment, before proceeding with what she needed to do. She hated herself partly for going along with his sick, twisted game and not fighting back. But she was thinking of the long run. If she fought back now, she'd never have a chance further down the line to try and contact Tony or even escape. She had to put Tony and her baby first, every action she took was with them in mind. She flushed the toliet and stood up, turning the tap on. She left her hands under the warm running water, savouring the warmth before washing her hands. She looked up at her reflection, seeing how puffy and red her eyes were. There was a stranger looking back at her, not the strong woman she was supposed to be. This was the face of someone who was weak, allowing someone else to control her in this situation. She gripped the edge of the sink, trying to calm her breathing down. Pepper had such a temptation to smash the mirror and try to fight her way out. But perhaps that was what Killian was counting on, her giving up and trying to fight.

"Not today." She whispered, collecting some water in her hands and rinsing her face. She proceeded to rinse her face several times before quickly washing under her arms. When she was done, she slowly twisted the handle of the door and stepped outside.

"With just thirty seconds to go - good timekeeping." Killian commented, walking back towards her makeshift prison cell. Pepper followed in silence, trying once again to catch any information when she walked, any sign of where she could be. It could be any apartment/flat or warehouse in any city. She didn't have a clue and it certainly didn't help that she awoke there, with no recollection of _how _she got there.

As soon as he opened the door, she stepped in, creating as much distance as she could from him. He closed the door behind him and her stomach dropped slightly, as the butterflies kicked in. "Now what?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"I want to talk to you." He replied, in an innocent tone as if it was a business meeting and not a sociopath kidnapping her.

"About?"

He mockingly placed his hand on his heart. "About why you always pushed me away."

Pepper swallowed, her eyes widening at how sick he really was. Out of anything he could talk about, it was the past."You can't be-"

"-Serious?" He interrupted, taking a step forward with a cruel sharp jab of laughter. "Honey - look around you. I'm _deadly _serious."

She nodded, inhaling slowly. She had to choose her words carefully, if she was as honest as she wanted to be, he would hurt her. "I just wasn't interested. It was nothing against you, personally."

He smirked, tilting his head up. "But you're interested in cocky-"

"-That's just it... I'm not interested in the surface, I care about what's underneath." Pepper replied, she took in a shaky breath, hoping that he wouldn't take what she was about to say the wrong way. "When it comes to that, You and Tony are polar opposites."

Killian was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. After a few tense moments, which seemed to stretch on forever, he finally spoke, his tone steady and calm. "Well, haven't you lost that privilege..." He placed a hand in his jean pocket and pulled out a phone, casually flipping it in his hand, almost taunting her. "I need you to be a darling and phone him."

Pepper's blood ran cold at that thought, she didn't know what he wanted her to say or do, but it wasn't going to be good - she knew that. "Why?" She responded, preventing her voice from breaking in fear. _No more taunts to him...Please..._

"This is what you're going to do for me-" He started to say, starting to slowly pace around the room. "-Ring him, it'll be on loudspeaker, tell him you're pregnant. Then, I'm going to shoot the wall and you'll be quiet-"

"-Wait, what?" Pepper interrupted, her eyes widening in horror. _No...No. He isn't saying what he could, No. _

"You're going to speak to Tony and then _die. _Make him think that you just died, and the last words he heard was that he was going to be a father-"

"-You're sick!" She spat at him, her fists clenching in anger. She felt tremors of fear and anger rush through her. She didn't want to crack, but he couldn't honestly think for _one _second that she would willingly _play dead. _She unclenched her fists, realising where he was going with this. He was going to threaten her baby. Of course. Do what he says or he'll harm her unborn child. A puppet on strings.

Killian just stopped in his tracks, facing her with a sadistic smile on her face. "Haven't we established that, already?"


	10. Chapter 10

**TROPHY**

_**Sorry about the long delay - Life! :p Oh! And Avengers Age Of Ultron... was too epic for words!**_

_**Thanks for the Reviews, Favourites & Follows!**_

_**Read, Review & Enjoy! :)**_

**CHAPTER TEN**

"Is he still asleep?" Banner asked Rhodey, as he walked into the kitchen stiffing a yawn. Rhodey nodded, instantly pouring himself a coffee and taking a seat.

"This is messed up." Rhodey finally said, after a few minutes silence, the both of them silently sipping their coffee. Tony was still asleep and they didn't want to wake him up, they all managed to finally agree to sleep around 3am last night and it was only 8 am in the morning. They were all feeling exhausted and worried. Every minute and every second mattered, because the longer it takes to try and locate a missing person, the more helpless the situation becomes.

Banner leaned forward on the table, his elbows resting on the edge. "I know..." He closed his eyes for a moment. "But we have to stay positive... If we all crack under pressure, we'll get nowhere." Rhodey nodded, knowing that Banner was right with what he was saying. They couldn't give up and they couldn't let the pressure get to them. Killian had caught Tony off guard, he was practically counting on Tony getting affected. Rhodey opened his mouth to say something, but chose not to. Banner looked over at him, noticing that he was dying to ask a question. "Just ask it."

"How do you cope with...y'know?" He asked, not wanting to explicitly ask about the Hulk, despite being curious thanks to numerous News Reports and Tony's stories about him. Rhodey had often seen Banner at Stark Towers, but they never really had the time to talk properly.

Banner shrugged his shoulders, standing up to make himself another coffee. "The other guy..." He said, making it more of a statement than a question. "I don't know, I just do."

"Wow, man." Rhodey sighed, raising his eyebrows. He rubbed his eyes slightly, sighing out loud. "And this whole..._Avengers_ thing?" He asked, shaking his head.

"Yeah." Banner awkwardly replied, smiling to himself. "They're not all bad."

"Well you got Tony and yourself." Rhodey announced, holding two fingers up. "Captain America - Which is cool..."

"Er, don't forget about Thor." Banner said, sitting back down with his coffee, holding it delicately. The bags under his eyes were more prominent than ever before, his whole demeanour was that of an exhausted individual.

"That's madness, man." Rhodey replied, frowning. Assassins and flying robots he just about got, but add Aliens and Gods into the equation, and the reailty of it all was a tiny bit difficult to grasp. " There's two more, right?"

Banner nodded, a small smile entering his features. "Yeah, Barton - The Archer and er... Natasha." He swallowed slightly, taking another sip of his coffee.

Rhodey straightened up, noticing the sudden change in the Doctors behaviour. "Oh, a _Natasha?_" He winked, chuckling quietley. "Got a little crush, eh?"

"No, No, Uh, No... Not... What about you?" He asked, quickly changing the subject, the smile fading from his face. "Tony mentioned you helping-"

"- You mean War Machine?" Rhodey said, feeling proud. "Ha, yeah, y'know - two weeks ago we got contacted by Hill regarding a slight bank hold up." He sat up straighter, wanting to tell his heroic story -he loved contributing to society. "So, the day it happened was on Tonys and Peppers date night, so me being the hero decided to take it into my own hands. I go there, blast through the walls, knock out two out of the three guys and here we are - Me and this other guy, a gun against War Machine. D'you know what happens?"

Bruce rubbed his chin slightly, frowning. "Well, I'm going to assume you didn't die, unless I'm talking to a projection right now."

Rhodey held his hand up and mimicked a _bang _sound. "Bank hold up is over - I'm the hero of the day. It was good, they even offered to open me a premium account, no charge, no catch." Rhodey stood up, his coffee now finished. "What happened last time you turned...Green?"

"I, uh, smashed a lot of things and scared a lot of people. Not really hero of the day." He awkwardly replied, crossing his arms.

"Re-fill?" Rhodey quickly asked, motioning to Banner's half full cup and wanting to change the subject. Banner nodded in reply, his eyes downcast as he thought over everything that had happened recently. Rhodey proceeded to re-fill the coffee, when the silence was broken by the sound of the phone ringing.

Banner and Rhodey looked at each other, before Banner quickly stood up. "I'll get Tony." He said to Rhodey, rushing out.

Rhodey put the cups down and slowly walked over to the phone, picking it up. "Hello?" He said, waiting nervously for a response.

"Tony Stark. Now." Killian's voice came from the other end, sending chills down Rhodey's spine. Rhodey bit his tongue, fighting the urge to say something back to him. It was enough that he had caused enough trouble last time, but now it was too far and too much. He still would never forget the moment he saw him _breathe fire. _

Rhodey looked over as he saw Tony rushing in accompanied by Banner. Rhodey mouthed to Tony that Killian was on the phone and he just nodded, taking the phone from him and clearing his throat. "Hello, dear." Tony confidently said, a smirk on his face but the hatred in his eyes. "I'd like to congratulate you on being the first caller of the day. As an award, you get to plan your own funeral - What would you like? Buried, Cremated or Pissed on?" Rhodey and Banner both rushed over to the computers, trying to get a trace on the call, whilst Tony kept talking.

"Ever the snarky comment, Mr. Stark." He coldly replied, with a light chuckle. "But I'm not who you need to speak to-"

There was a brief second of silence on the phone and Tony strained, holding his breath as he could hear movement on the other line. "Tony?" Pepper's voice came out as a whisper. She sounded exhausted and upset, but Tony knew Pepper too well. She was strong, such a strong woman and wouldn't break or crack under Killian.

"Pepper!" Tony replied, thankful that she was alive and at least able to speak. "Are you hurt?"

He heard her shudder, before she started to speak. "I don't have long to explain, but it's too late. I'm preganant-" She made a sound which sounded like a hybrid of a sigh and sob."-God... You're going to be a father, you _were _going to be a father... But it's too late... I love you... Good Bye."

Tony's eye widened as he listened to her, his brain trying to calculate what was happening or why she was saying it. "Pepper - It's not too late, I'm gonna find you- I swear I'm gonna-"

**BANG. **Tony froze, hearing the unmistakable sound of a bullet on the other end, followed by the sound of something or _someone _falling. He felt himself crumple onto the floor, unaware of how he got there. He looked up to see Rhodey and Banner were by his side, but he had no idea of how they got there. He just kept gripping the phone, his knuckles turning white. "Pepper?" He whispered, swallowing the lump in his throat. _It's mind tricks... She's not... She'll answer! _"Pepper! Pepper!" He repeated, his voice rising with each time he called her.

"Apologies, Tony... I had to do it." Killian coldly said, sounding anything but sincere, hanging up, leaving Tony clutching the phone with only the dial tone in his ears...


	11. Chapter 11

**TROPHY**

_**Thanks for the Reviews, Favourites & Follows! Apologies for the delay, I had no internet for ages :O**_

_**Read, Review & Enjoy! :)**_

**CHAPTER ELEVEN:**

_Killian just stopped in his tracks, facing her with a sadistic smile on her face. "Haven't we established that, already? Now - Get to work."_

Pepper took a step back, crossing her arms as she looked at him in disbelief. No matter how much she tried it was crazy to just try and get in his head, imagine what he was thinking. She wasn't going to do it - _couldn't. _There had to be some alternative action, anything to not ring him up and play dead, as Killian wanted her to do. It was psychological torture and Killian enjoyed it. _ What goes around comes around. _Pepper reminded herself, trying to hang on to the shred of positivity which was threatening to leave her. "I won't do it." She finally said out loud, after several moments of silence, vocalizing her rapid thoughts.

Killian raised his eyebrows, bringing out a gun which was in his pocket. Pepper's jaw locked, her eyes focusing on where he was pointing the gun. "I don't remember _asking _you, Peps-"

Pepper exhaled, her brain working overtime, which considering her current state of survivng, not living, wasn't serving her well. No matter how much her head urged her to stand up for herself, she had to obey by the facts. The fact was, that she was pregnant. So every action she took or words she spoke, wasn't just open for consequences on herself, but her unborn child as well. She now faced the predicament of acting on behalf of two people, one of which held the higher prioirty. Pepper knew what she had to say, she had to _try _and reason with him. It was better than the alternative idea she had, she wanted to punch him, scream every expletive she knew in his face and unleash whatever rage was remaining within her. But she had to be smart, she had to constantly think before acting. "There has to be some way around this..." She quietly said, clearing her throat. She intended for her voice to be strong. "Please. I mean - just _look _at this situation from a logical point of view... Look at what happened last time. History is going to repeat itself and this time you might not be so fortunate."

Killian remained where he was standing, a look of pitiful observation on his face. He knew the control her had over her and he knew, that she was aware of it. He releshed in his own victory. "That, er...almost sounded like a threat."

"That's what I was aiming for." Pepper stoically replied, her hands balling into fists and then releasing. "You are **killing **him slowly...and when the tables turn, and trust me, they will...you'll regret all of this."

Killian mocked a look of a concernful companion for a split second, before cruelly cracking the mirage with his self kept look of smugness. "No, I won't...But keep begging - I like it."

"I'm not begging - I'm telling you." Pepper responded through gritted teeth.

Killian snaked an arm around her shoulder, making her automatically hunch over slightly, feeling invaded. He moved his head to the side of hers, so that his words came out in a harsh whisper to her ear, whilst his hand lightly rested on her neck. "What would you do for your unborn child?" His hand now lightly gripped her neck, making her freeze, a chill running down her spine. "If I told you, right this instant - Tony or your child? Which would you choose?" Pepper opened her mouth to say something, and he applied pressure for just a second before releasing again. "Don't speak, we both know the answer. Life isn't a fairytale, Pepper, the good guys suffer. The heroes mask slips off...revealing what he is... His past, the weapons he made and the people he made feel insufficient. The people that are the living embodiment of Karma... I'm talking about **me**." He let go of her neck and took a step back, shifting so that he was facing her.

"You don't care about any of that." She whispered, fear creeping into her eyes, despite the stoic appearence she tried to uphold.

He shrugged in response. "I know - just sounds dramatic." Pepper darted her eyes away from him and he roughly grabbed her chin, making her look at him. He held up a folded piece of paper, up to her eye level. "This... is what you need to say... When I say "_I'm not who you need to speak to." _you start. When you get to the end, I'll say a few words and fire a blank. You make a sound, a single breath and I will stab you. I swear I will do it... Are we clear on this?"

She closed her eyes for a moment, any chance of debating or trying to change his mind would be fruitless. It was a lost cause, in the very moment. Reluctantly, she slowly nodded, "Yeah." She whispered, taking the piece of paper, her stomach dropping and a lump in her throat forming as she gazed over the words writted on there:

_Tony? I don't have long to explain, but it's too late. I'm pregnant... You're going to be a father - you __**were **__going to be a father. It's too late now, I love you. Good Bye._

Pepper let out a breath and looked up at Killian, pure hatred filled her eyes. He was beyond sick, he wrote this down. He took the time to think about what she would say and he knew fine well, that she couldn't object - he was killing Tony Stark, slowly. Pepper just prayed that Tony wouldn't believe it and wouldn't trace the call. She watched anxiously as he placed the gun in his left hand and phone in his right, dialling a number and placing it on loud speaker.

"Remember - you try and help him, you'll die - you know I'm not lying about that." He warned her. Pepper shot him a dirty look, her blood running cold as she heard Rhodey's voice, hesitantly speak.

"Hello?"

"Tony Stark. Now." Killain sharply returned. Pepper glanced behind her tempted to try and run out of the door, it was becoming unbearable. The seconds became minutes, minutes became hours - time was frozen, when she wanted to avoid the unavoidable. But a part of her, wanted to hear his voice. And perhaps, he needed to hear hers, so that she would know he is alive and vice versa.

"Hello, dear." Tony's voice spoke, making Pepper close her eyes in relief. He sounded exhausted, but he was still him - he wasn't broken yet. "I'd like to congratulate you on being the first caller of the day. As an award, you get to plan your funeral - what would you like? Buried, Cremated or Pissed on?" Pepper smirked lightly, he was still there and he was going to get Killian.

He rolled his eyes in response. "Ever the snarky comment, Mr. Stark...But I'm not who you need to speak to-" Before Pepper even realised what was happening, Killian roughly grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her nearer, motioning for her to speak.

"Tony?" Pepper hoarsely whispered, her fingertips feeling numb and an unfamiliar floating sensation overcoming her. She felt like she wasn't real, not in the moment, it was her mouth that was speaking, but she felt as if she had no control.

"Pepper!" Relief flooded his voice. "Are you okay?"

Pepper glanced up at Killian and he raised an eyebrow, motioning for her to read and make it quick. She shuddered lightly, starting to speak. "I don't have long to explain, but it's too late. I'm preganant-" She gasped a little, full realisation of what she was saying hitting her. This is how it was, how she had to tell him. "God... You're going to be a father, you were going to be a father... But it's too late... I love you... Good Bye."

"Pepper - It's not too late. I'm gonna find you, I swear I'm gonna-" Killian suddenly shot the blank into the opposite wall, immediately pushing her down to the ground. She bit her bottom lip, determined to not make a sound - Tony wouldn't fall for it. "Pepper?" Tony's voice whispered, the fear and panic creeping in. "Pepper! Pepper!" She squinted her eyes shut, her heart breaking at the sound of him panicking. He had to not fall for Killian's scheme, he had to stay strong. She wished she could say something.

"Apologies, Tony... I had to do it." Killian finally said, breaking the tense few seconds of silence, before hanging up. He turned to Pepper, a sick, twisted smile on his face. "And that - Pepper - is how you put on a show."

"You want him to track the call." She numbly replied, her fingernails digging into her palms.

"It won't trace back to here, some old abandoned tower block, with a motion trigger set... Open the door and _**bang **_- the end. That, is how you get rid of the parasites of the world."


	12. Chapter 12

TROPHY

_**Thanks for the Reviews, Favourites & Follows! Apologies for the delay, A LOT of personal things have been happening over the past few months: Moving 300 miles away, quitting my job and getting a new one, going back to College and potentially applying to Uni... So, not much really.**_

_**If you are still sticking by and reading this next chapter - Thanks! Do review :) Hope you all enjoy it.**_

_**Read, Review & Enjoy! :)**_

**CHAPTER TWELVE:**

Not a single scratch, mark or smudge was on the ceiling of the room where Pepper was, she was certain of it. For the past fifteen-twenty minutes, she had laid down on the bed and absent mindedly stared at the ceiling, her mind racing and the tears falling. She didn't even know what the time was, and that was the worst thing of all. She was in a state of the unknown.

"What are you doing?" She whispered out loud, verbalizing her thoughts. She was not going to get anywhere or improve the situation, by lying there, scanning the ceiling. Clearing her throat and wiping her cheeks, she slowly sat up, rolling her shoulders to relieve some of the dull ache. _Think like Tony. _Pepper thought, that was the only way she'd get out of this. Tony was trapped, but managed to escape before, he thought practically, he didn't wallow in his sorrow. She exhaled shakily, feeling disgusted at how she went along with Killian's scheme. _I didn't have a choice... I can't be selfish, I have a child. I need to protect __**our **__child... Virginia - Listen to myself... Swear to god, that no matter what happens, I will protect our child. I can't think of myself, I can't think of Tony... I have to step up, think of all three of us._

"Okay." She said out loud, a confident tone to her voice. She stood up, crossing her arms and slowly examined the room. This wasn't her long term accommodation...It was time to get started, It was time to try and find a way out.

* * *

><p>"Well?" Killian snapped at the unnamed worker whose job it was to never leave that chair and observe the CCTV, on the various computer screens. It had been over an hour since that phone call, and Killian had re-routed the trace of the cell he used, to be located at an abandoned warehouse, which was on the screen in front of him. Apart from the broken windows on the outside, the real danger was inside, a sensor activated detonator. A simple plan, which in Killian's eyes, was flawless.<p>

"No sign of him yet." The man replied, his eyes not flickering off the screen. He was anonymous in the figurative form.

Killian nodded, rubbing his chin in a sign of annoyance. "Tell me as soon as you see him flying in and exploding out." He bluntly replied, turning on his heel and walking out. The smile on his face never faded as he played the image over and over again in his mind. The underdog finally comes full circle. Tony would die, Pepper would be so distressed and seek his comfort and together they can start anew, a new family, a whole family. In his mind, that was the plan, which he was determined to make a reality - No matter what.

* * *

><p>Rhodey leaned against the bathroom door, glancing up at Bruce who stood opposite, wearing a matching expression of worry and angst on his face. The only sound from the other side of the wall, was that of running water. Tony had bluntly got up and marched in, slamming the door behind him, half an hour ago. Since that time, both Rhodey and Bruce had remained where they were, only moving once a match for the cell phone trace became apparent. And apparent it was, an abandoned warehouse, miles away from civilization. Too convenient, and yet they had to tell Tony.<p>

"Tell him." Bruce directed at Rhodey, placing a hand over his mouth as he yawned. "He's got a right to know and he would know. The, uh, reality of it."

Rhodey opened his mouth to reply, but thought better of it. Without anymore hesitation, he knocked sharply three times on the door. "Tony - we've got a trace on the cell... Look, we'll be in the kitchen - we ain't going nowhere."

Behind the closed, locked door, Tony took a look at himself in the mirror, his ears ringing, throat dry. This wasn't him. _Seriously? I'm gonna break down and just leave Pepper there with our... _He sharply exhaled. _Male equivalent of Morning Sickness. _He thought, shaking off the negativity. Doing this, getting affected - was Killian's wish, and right now Tony was being his goddamned Fairy God Father, making his wishes come true. _Sorry Cinderella, I'm changing the clock to Midnight - Welcome to Reality!_ With one last huff, he turned on his heel and unlocked the door, stepping out. Rhodey and Bruce who were down the hallway, both turned around simultaneously.

"Leaving so soon?" Tony asked, smiling lightly as he walked towards them. The look of relief on their face was very evident, at the fact that Tony was still...well, Tony.

"We thought you needed some alone time." Bruce replied, hands in his pocket.

Tony shrugged. "I'm not some teen that just found out their like, totally favourite boy band just split up - This I can handle." He nodded slightly, more like a reassurance to himself, then walked past them. "So... A trace?" He confirmed, walking towards the computers.

Rhodey nodded, Bruce following behind him. "It's to a...well, abandoned warehouse." Bruce explained, observing Tony's expression as he looked at the screen.

They waited for a moment, watching whilst Tony just stood in front of the screen, not saying anything. There was an unspoken truth in the air, the tension palpable with the essence of it - A trap. Tony nodded, mumbling something to himself.

Rhodey looked at Bruce, raising his eyebrows, before turning back to face Tony. "Hey, you know that's not the real location, right? Pepper isn't dead, Tony. She's alive and that's a trap - Killian is trying to lure you in to kill you." He winced as he finished speaking, the planned speech in his head sounding a lot less blunt than what he had said.

"We, Uh...Agreed to not be so blunt." Bruce commented, looking down at the ground.

"No...He's right." Tony finally said, breaking his mini vow of silence. "It's a fake trace - but, I'm still going. JARVIS - prepare my suit."

"Sir, I must insist on the potential danger of your planned location-"

Tony tilted his head to the side, eyes darting to the side in desperation. "JARVIS, dear, the grownups are talking, go do your chores - Merci."

Rhodey took a step forward, placing a hand on Tony's arm. "It's a fake trace, Tony. _Fake. _You can't play into his games."

"No... No, I should. I mean that's what he wants, isn't it? Me - out of the picture, Pepper distressed and **our** child in his arms. He wants to see me flying in and exploding out. So let's give him the show."

Bruce chuckled lightly. "You're playing your own game, aren't you? And Pepper would know it's not you, she wouldn't worry."

"That son of a bitch wants a show, I'm going to give him what he wants. Buy us some time, override his software - and find the _real _location." Tony explained, crossing his arms. He pointed at Rhodey. "He'd wanna take out the side kicks - I need your suit."

"I've only got one-"

"-Need it, gonna have it and explode it." Tony deadpanned to a surprised Rhodey.

* * *

><p>Pepper squinted, biting the inside of her cheeks, as the sharp ridges of the tiny nail sharply dug under her nails. Biting back an expletive of pain, she carried on trying to unscrew it, from one of the plug outlets in the room. <em>You can get rid of furniture, but not the plug holes. <em>She didn't know how long she had been trying to unscrew it, but she hadn't stopped. There was no time for breaks or mini rests. She had to get out of the place, hurt him with the screw. Even if she could step outside for a minute, Tony could use the satellites to match against face recognition. It would be difficult enough to track that call, this could be the extra boost and time saver he'd need.

"Yes..." She whispered, as the screw lightly fell out into the palm of her hand. She sat back on her heels, exhaling breathlessly, feeling a glimmer of hope. She might just be getting out of there, she had a new found hope..._Might be..._She thought, trying to stay optimistic.

The all too familiar sound of the key in the lock sounded, breaking the silent celebratory air and she quickly rushed to her feet, screw still in her hand... She was ready...


	13. Chapter 13

TROPHY

_**Thanks for Reviews, Favourites & Follows! There will be roughly five or six more chapters :0 **_

_**I loved, loved, loved writing this chapter. I hope you guys like it too! Whilst writing it, I listened to Mad Max Fury Road Soundtrack - Brother In Arms, it helped to build the tension...I hope that translates in this chapter :/ Do leave a review to let me know what you think!**_

_**Read, Review & Enjoy! :)**_

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN:**

Pepper quickly placed the nail in her trouser pocket and straightened up, not wanting to seem suspicious. She crossed her arms as he walked in, a plastic bag in his hand which he threw down to the floor.

He chuckled to himself, seemingly amused at her guarded body language. "Let me guess - 'What do you want, Killian?'" He walked in a circle, eyes scanning the room for anything out of the ordinary. Pepper tried to not look by the screws, hoping to god he wouldn't notice. He stopped walking and glanced at her. "Cheer up, your new life starts soon."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "My new life?" She dryly asked.

He shrugged. "When Stark dies...Sure, you'll get sad and melodramatic - But, Honey, I'm here." He said, holding his arms out in a grand gesture of himself.

She breathed in slowly, trying to not charge at him and hurt him, in any human possible way. She **hated **the way he said it, making it sound so casual. "That's supposed to make me feel better?" She rhetorically asked.

Killian smirked at her, his eyes travelling down her body and back up to look her in the eyes. "I can make you feel better, trust me on that."

"I'd rather not." Pepper muttered under her breath, fingernails digging into her palms.

"What was that?" Killian asked, his tone serious, taking a few steps forwards.

"I said... Whatever you say." She coldly replied.

"Atta girl." He motioned to the plastic bag. "Soap, Toothpaste, Toothbrush and Towel. One of my men will be here in five minutes, to accompany you - Got it?"

"Okay."

"No, thank you? Seriously?"

Pepper exhaled softly, looking up at him with pure hatred in her eyes. "Thank you." She spat at him, through gritted teeth.

He winked, opening the door. "Good girl." He muttered, slamming the door behind her.

"For not noticing what I'm going to do."

* * *

><p>Tony's eyes were fixed to the screen, where the display for both suits ready to deploy into the warehouse was confirmed.<p>

"Waiting on your word, SIR." JARVIS informed him.

Tony blinked, looking over at Rhodey and Bruce. "It's all timing, JARVICE. Keep them nearby, keep them hidden. What's the trace at, Banner?"

Bruce rubbed his eyes and put his glasses back on, glancing at the computer. "34%...and counting, very slowly."

"Damn, we're getting there." Rhodey muttered, his eyes shifting between the two screens, the atmosphere tense.

Tony nodded. "Wait till it's at 75%, then we'll deploy the suits. Minimise the gap."

"Just a waiting game." Rhodey commented, his eyes starting to get slightly red, from not sleeping.

Tony looked over at Bruce and then back again at Rhodey. They _chose _to help him, they didn't have to. It wasn't a prospect he could get his around, somebody wanting to genuinely help him, not so they can gain anything, but to just help. "Thank you." He said out loud, making them both look at him. "Both of you...just..." He shrugged, not really knowing what else to say "... thanks."

Bruce smiled lightly at him, turning his attention back to the screen.

"Don't thank us yet." Rhodey replied.

* * *

><p>Pepper glanced up as the door swung open and one of the men stood there. She held the plastic bag in her hand and was glad to see that it was just him. It seemed that cooperating with Killian, made him think she didn't need three or four men to guard her and prevent her getting away. She exhaled walking out of the room, the floor in the passage sending shivers up her body, through her bare feet. This was the first time she stepped out of the room. Being alone, being taken, made her want a bed, food - the normal everyday stuff, you never think twice about. Most of all, she wanted her freedom and to have her family.<p>

"Move it." The man said it a southern Texas drawl. He was only about an inch taller than her and quite waif-like in stature. She glanced down at his trouser pocket to see the outline of a phone and a gun in his other. She noticed a light trace of a scar, on the left hand side of his neck and his eyes seemed hollow. He grabbed a hold of her left upper arm, guiding her down the halls.

Her eyes scanned the place, trying to take in as much detail: which wasn't helpful, due to the monotone and plain decor. There were only a few doors on both sides, the walls were painted a faded white and the lights buzzed up ahead. If she didn't know any better, she's say this was hell. It was fast becoming that way. To escape, she wouldn't even know how to. She knew she couldn't think about that, the next three minutes depended on her and her alone. She had to stay calm, be tactical and be quick. One mess up and Tony will literally never find her.

He guided her around the corner and stopped outside a door. Pepper glanced behind, as he opened the door, noting that nobody else was around. Very carefully, she grabbed the nail from her pocket, waiting until he turned around. "You got ten minutes." He told her, his eyes taking in her appearance, making her feel small.

She nodded, walking forward so that she was parallel with him. "Okay." She whispered. She paused for a moment, adrenaline pumping through her veins and with an exhale, she swiftly turned and drove the nail into his neck, causing him to stumble backwards. She tried to not gasp at the blood that trickled down his neck, knowing that every second counted. Pepper quickly punched him under his jaw, a swift uppercut that made a cracking sound. She stepped back, preparing for the final knock, a move that Tony had taught her. She spun around and connected her shin with his head, knocking him down to the ground. Pepper shakily exhaled, trying to hear if anybody was nearby, ignoring the vibrations of pain on her shin and hand. There was no time to think of pain, she was on a timer and the consequences of when Killian found her, would be dire. Tony was her last hope - _this _was her last hope. She glanced around the corner, exhaling with relief - It was safe. As quickly as she could, with shaky, sweaty hands she grabbed the phone from his pocket and the gun. She went to stand up, but jumped as his hand grabbed her ankle. Without a second thought, she swung the handle of the gun down to his temple, knocking him unconscious. Stepping over his body, she shut the bathroom door behind her, thankful for the lock and sat down in the corner, placing the gun next to her.

"Okay..." She breathed, swiping the phone to unlock it. She quickly clicked onto the keypad and typed in Tony's number, the whole ordeal seeming like a daze, a hazy dream. She pressed the dial button and held the phone up to her ear.

"Please, Please, Please..." Pepper muttered, her eyes fixated at the door, the ringing tone making her stomach knot up. She had no idea what would happen if he didn't pick up and Killian found her. _He'll kill me. _She thought, blinking rapidly to not cry. "Pick up the damn phone, Tony." She muttered, shaking her head.

She held her breath as she heard the sound of the connector, followed by his voice. "Hello?"


	14. Chapter 14

TROPHY

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**CHAPTER FOURTEEN:**

"What number we on to now, Banner?" Tony asked, tilting his head back and closing his eyes, the corners of his head thudding with an oncoming migraine.

"Uh..." Bruce replied, frowning at how slow the bar was moving, before sighing. "36%."

"Tony, we'll get to it. We'll get the trace." Rhodey offered, trying to be positive.

"And I'll be as old as Captain Stars and Stripes." Tony replied, standing up and stretching his arms up. "I can't just sit down not doing anything, nothing is happening. **Nothing **is happening. I'm not gonna-" He stopped talking, hearing his mobile phone start to ring. He grabbed it from his pocket and looked at the screen, to see an unknown number calling him. He glanced over at Bruce and Rhodey, who both had an amused expression on their faces. "D'you mind if I finish my rant later?"

"Sure thing, man." Rhodey sarcastically replied, rolling his eyes at him.

Tony nodded, hesitating for a moment, before pressing the green button. He placed the phone up to his ear. "Hello?" He said, in a flat tone, not sure who or what to expect.

There was a moment's silence, before she spoke. "Tony?" Pepper whispered, her voice wobbling in relief and fear.

He closed his eyes for a second, exhaling silently, feeling like a thousand rocks had hit him. "Oh god..." He muttered, placing the phone on loudspeaker. He motioned to Rhodey and Bruce, to start the trace on the call. A thousand emotions hit him like a tsunami, he was drowning in an incomprehensible state of mind. "Pepper, Honey, where are you?"

"How would I know, Tony?" She replied quickly.

He shrugged. "Google map?" He suggested. Only their conversations would make it seem like it wasn't a life threatening situation.

Pepper laughed, a weak, almost forced sound. "You're a jerk." She replied, in a gentle tone. She hesitated for a moment, Tony could hear her standing up and holding her breath, before she moved again. "Can you trace this call?" She asked.

Tony glanced at the computer screen, seeing the trace at 47%. "We're on it, getting there...But, uh, _How _did you get a cell?"

She cleared her throat. "I, sort of, well...got a nail and stabbed a man in the neck and _now, _I'm locked in the bathroom with this phone and a gun."

Tony raised an eyebrow and Rhodey turned around, eyes wide. "Typical day, then."

"Yes, Tony, typical day." She sarcastically replied, exhaustion laced in her voice.

Rhodey turned around to look at the statistics of the trace and then turned back to Tony, one hand on the back of the chair. "Twenty more seconds, Tony, we'll have the location."

"I need to deploy those suits, Pep." He told her, knowing that would mean Killian would be looking for her, to gloat. The sooner the suits were deployed and the deaths were faked, the sooner they can get there and end it once and for all.

_"_Do it." Pepper replied, sounded stronger. "Do you know where I am, yet?"

"In the Bathroom-" He begun to say, a smile on his face.

"-I swear-"

"-By the moon and the stars in the sky?" He heard her sigh and changed the tone. "Not yet." He admitted.

He heard her moving around again and figured that she saw trying to hear if anybody was outside the door. He prayed for her sake - and their child's- that he wouldn't be there yet. _Our baby. _Tony inhaled, not wanting to bring it up. Now was not the time nor place. It was cause unnecessary, extra anxiety for both Pepper and himself. "Tony, he's going to be here soon."

"I'll get there first." He told her, trying to reassure her.

"How would I know?"

Bruce cleared his throat. "Uh, If you and Rhodey go, I can try and override the security and cut off the power for 30 seconds. That'll give her a chance to run and she'll know you're there." He suggested, rubbing his eyes again.

Tony nodded, giving him a thumbs up sign. "Bruce is here by the way." He cheerily told Pepper. "Just hang tight."

"Woah, We've got it!" Rhodey suddenly said, standing up from his chair. "Texas... The trace is in Texas, abandoned tower block."

Tony closed his eyes, relief flooding through him. "Texas?" Pepper repeated. "That's..."

"Unexpected." Tony finished her sentence. "Just hang in there, Hon."

"He didn't die last time." She said.

"I got a plan." He replied, looking over at the briefcase which Bruce brought.

"You've got a plan?"

"Don't be doubtful - my plan's are awesome."

"Like Venice?" She questioned, bringing up their conversation from the plane, a few years ago. "Tony, I-"

"-Don't say it, yet." He told her firmly, closing his eyes. "This isn't goodbye. I swear to you - I'm coming for you and I'm coming for him. This ends tonight."

"See you soon." She whispered back to him, followed by the dial tone.

Tony slowly lowered the phone, still looking at the screen. "I love you." He cleared his throat, looking up at Rhodey.

"Don't look at me like that, man. I like you as a friend only." He joked, crossing his arms. "Suits have been deployed."

He nodded, starting to pace the room, desperate to get going. "Bruce?"

"Five minutes - I'll be in the mainframe."

Rhodey walked up to Tony, ready to suit up. "We'll let you know when we're outside." He reminded Bruce.

Tony nodded, patting Rhodey on the shoulder. It was finally time, no more waiting around, no more wasting time. He knew where she was, she didn't have much time and it all depend on him and Rhodey. "Less talking, more ass kicking. Let's move."


	15. Chapter 15

TROPHY

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_**Read, Review & Enjoy! :)**_

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN:**

Pepper slowly placed the phone on the cold, tiled floor, next to the gun. She slowly stood up, tiptoeing by the door and leaning against it, trying to hear if anybody was outside - silence. She sighed in relief and shuffled back over, confirming that they only way out was the only way in. She frowned, catching sight of her reflection. She turned, facing the mirror and let out a gasp. Her eyes were puffy, her hair a mangled mess and a faint bruise was on her face. This is what he had reduced her to. She turned the tap, feeling the cold water and cupped her hands underneath it, rinsing her face with it. She patted her face dry, with her creased shirt and glanced back at her reflection, trying to stay positive. Tony would be here soon, the moment the lights are out would be her opportunity to run. She closed her eyes, taking a few steps back and sliding down: It was difficult to comprehend that this nightmare might soon end. Tilting her head back, she gazed at the dim lights up ahead, it was just a waiting game - again.

"Just try and run." She whispered out loud, turning her head to look at the door. It was a possibility, she was armed and that should count for something. She quickly stood up, grabbing the gun off the floor and went by the door, hand on the lock ready. It could be simple, just open the door and run. She exhaled shakily and clicked the lock, the sound echoing through the silence, as she held her breath. She bit her lip, shakily pulling the door open slightly and peeking her head around.

"Oh my god." She muttered, her eyes starting to water. She slammed the door shut, locking it and held the gun up. The man that brought her here wasn't outside the door anymore. Her blood ran cold at the prospect of what was about to happen, any second Killian would be here. She quickly ran over and picked up the phone, shakily re-dialling Tony's number. She tried to keep her breathing in check as she held the phone up to her ear.

"Miss me already?" Tony's voice answered and Pepper closed her eyes briefly in relief.

"Tony-" She readjusted her fingers around the gun, the weight of it starting to tire her arm out slightly. "-The man's gone, from outside, the one with the nail - he's not there."

"Honey, I'm nearby." He replied, his voice urgent and calm. "Stay there, until you _have _to step out. Even then just-"

"-Delay-"

"-Don't play."

She rolled her eyes, sighing slightly. "Promise me you're nearby."

He chuckled lightly, a slightly forced sound, but reassuring nevertheless. "I'll be there quicker than you can say _Dumbledore._"

"I'm not going to say that, Tony." She paused for a moment, hearing the faint sound of Killain's voice. She reduced her voice to a quick whisper. "He's nearby."

"Hang up and hang tight." He quickly responded.

"Okay." She replied, hanging up the phone and glancing behind her. She crouched down and put the phone in the toilet, so that even if he did find it, he wouldn't be able to work it. She jumped up hearing two loud bangs on the door.

"Pepper!" Killian yelled, banging a further two times on the door. "I'm going to give you the chance to open the door...before I burn a hole in it and drag you out myself." He threatened.

Pepper gripped the gun with two hands, her heart thumping loudly and her palms beginning to sweat. She swallowed, clearing her throat. "I'm not going anywhere." She replied back, her voice sounding strong and confident.

He laughed loudly back, a mocking sound. "_Peps..._ I'm afraid that...whatever fantasy is going on in your head, thinking that Mr. Stark is going to save you - You're wrong. He's dead." He sniggered slightly, banging on the door again, more loudly than previously. "Ka-boom went the Iron Man and his Sidekick." Pepper paused for a moment, realising that Killian thought Tony was dead. "Stealing the phone to try and warn him, didn't work, did it?" Pepper gripped the gun tighter. "You have five seconds or I'm coming to get you."

"Go to hell, Aldrich." Pepper spat back, ready to fire the gun.

There was a moment's silence, before he spoke. "As you wish." Pepper's eyes widened, as she saw a faint orange glow in the middle of the bathroom door. _Extremis. _She thought bitterly, holding the gun up and waiting for the perfect timing. "You knew it was going to happen this way, Pepper! Trying to deny the undeniable." He mockingly taunted, as his fist appeared through the door.

"Deny this." She whispered, exhaling whilst she pressed the trigger, hitting him square in the hand. He shouted out in shock and removed his hand, leaving the gap in the door. Pepper could vaguely see the outline of him and a few other men there. "C'mon Tony...Dim the lights." She closed one eye, aiming again and firing two shots, one hitting the bathroom door and the other going through the hole and hitting Killian again.

"You bitch." He grunted, hissing slightly. "Oh-h-h. You want to get hurt, let's play rough." Pepper backed up, swallowing, as she heard him kicking the door several times, making her jump. "I tried being nice, Virginia, I really did...I guess being with an asshole is rubbing off on you... He's dead, you know. Vaporised like a piece of shi-" He went silent as the lights went out and Pepper knew what that meant. _30 Seconds out...that's my window. _She inhaled and as silently as she could, slowly walked by the door and holding her breath clicked the lock open. She could hear the murmurs and confused voices outside the door, but they wouldn't just let her walk by.

"I'm coming out." Pepper told him, holding the gun up ready. "Give me a second to find the door and unlock it!" She said, pulling the door open and firing three times into the darkness, she threw the gun in that direction and ran as quickly as she could, feeling her way around the wall and corners.

She could hear their footsteps behind and Killian cursing, but further in the distance she heard the faint sound of a door being blown open... He was here, it was going to end.


	16. Chapter 16

TROPHY

_**Thank you all very much for the kind reviews and the favourites/follow alerts.**_

_**I do apologise for the Crazy delay, I had no internet for goodness knows how long - it seemed like forever. Plus, Y'know, life!**_

_**Anyhow, I hope you all enjoy this next Chapter. The story is very nearly at the end (Happy or Not - That is the question?) **_

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**CHAPTER SIXTEEN:**

Pepper froze as the lights came back on and she immediately ducked by the corner, not having any idea where she was. She couldn't hear anything and silence was adding to her anxiety. She held her breath, trying to hear any sound of footsteps or Tony - but was met by unnerving silence. She closed her eyes for a second, breathing deeply. _Stay calm. _She reminded herself. Tony was in the building...somewhere, as was Killian. It was just a matter of who she would find first. She glanced down the hallway she was now standing in and started walking slowly, the lights above flickering momentarily. Pepper squinted seeing a door in the distance and started to walk wider strides, so to make less noise and get to the door quicker.

"Oh..." She whispered, her blood running cold as she started to hear footsteps and loud voices in the distant. Pepper swallowed, picking up the pace, whilst not making much noise. She stopped in her tracks, seeing the mark on the door labelled as a fire escape - A staircase. She wiped her sweaty palms on her trousers, the cold floor sending chills up her legs. As soon as she was parallel with the door, she slowly pushed it open slightly, holding her breath and praying it wouldn't creak. She smiled lightly to herself as the door silently opened, she slipped in and repeated the process, slowly shutting the door. She started to walk down the stairs, staying away from the railing so nobody could see her if they looked up or down. Pepper made a conscious decision, to keep walking down until the very last door, which didn't seem that far away. Pepper chewed on the inside of her cheek as the concrete was stone cold and she was still without any shoes. Pushing her discomfort to the back of her mind, she stayed fixated on the door which was down one last set of stairs.

"Can you see her?!" A man's voice yelled ahead, from upstairs. Pepper froze, pressing her back by the wall and slowly taking a step down.

"Bitch ain't here!" Another man yelled, his voice heavy with a smokers husk, from further above.

Pepper stopped for a second, hearing a door slam shut and decided to keep walking, without checking. For all she knew, it could have been a fake door shut. To see if she would reveal herself. She wasn't going to fall for any tricks, Tony was nearby. This was nearly over. She carried on walking down the last five steps and a sense of relief washed over her, as she pushed open the door. She quickly stepped in, closing it quietly behind her. She glanced around seeing a dim corridor, turning right at the top. In the distant she could hear, what she sure had sounded like fighting. Which meant Tony was on this floor. She broke into a light jog, wanting to find him as quick as possible. This whole situation had been a nightmare, an actual, living nightmare.

Pepper fell backwards, as she turned the corner, feeling a blunt force by her shoulders. She landed roughly on her elbows, a shot of pain vibrating through her arms and she glanced upwards to see Killian.

"Oh my god..." She muttered, moving backwards frantically, to get away from him.

"I'm sorry, Pepper." He mockingly said, closing in on her. "Actually...I'm not. You deserved that!" He yelled at her, reaching down and roughly grabbing her by her hair and pulling her up. She gritted her teeth in pain. "Found you."

"Get off me!" She shouted, trying to kick his shins, but to no avail.

"What was the point in this? Do you _like _the chase - is that it?" He questioned, pushing her back by the wall. "You want me to work for what I'm going to get, well guess what, Honey - I've worked now and I have you." He menacingly told her, gripping her wrists in place tightly.

"Ow..." She whispered. "Stop..."

"What did you ever see in him, hm? You have become a walking cliché. The secretary falling for the boss..." He tutted at her, a sickening smirk on his face. "Everyone wondered if you would and you did. Did you at least get a pay rise? He got his bonus, you should get yours."

Pepper looked at him, with utter disgust. She wondered if this whole thing, was all about jealousy. Jealous of Tony's success, in work and his private life. "You're sick."

"I know...I need your help, Pepper. But first - I need to sort you out."

Pepper grimaced as he leaned in closer to her. "What are you doing?!" She yelled at him, before quickly head butting him, to get him to back off. She saw stars in the corner of her eye, her head starting to ache in dull pain.

Killian sneered at her, wiping a hand over the area she head butted him. "You bitch - I am going to show you what a _real _man is all about. About damn time!" He threatened, grabbing her arm and twisting it, making her stumble down to an awkward position. "It's called taking charge...And I guarantee once you get it, you'll want it again and again...That's just the way it-"

Pepper didn't hear the end of the sentence, nor really knew what had just happened. His grip on her was gone and Pepper watched wide-eyed as he was flung back in the air, colliding into the wall. She slowly stood up, squinting to double-check who it was walking towards her. She felt a weight lifted off her shoulders and a small smile on her face, despite the situation. She saw him stop and the mask automatically lift off showing his face. "Rough day?" He asked.

"You've got no-" She ducked hearing several gunshots, aiming towards them. Tony held his hand up and fired at Killian, who jumped out of the way.

Tony turned to her, his face now serious. "You run. Get out of here, Pep."

She stood up, glancing over at where Killian was. "What are you going to do, Tony?"

The mask automatically went down and she heard him speak, in a stern, determined tone. "End this."


End file.
